


I'm Caught in the Midst of No Redemption

by AwakeAndAliveSpartan



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Coulson is More or Less a Villain Here, Demon! Ward, F/M, Not Canon after S3A, Not Coulson Friendly, Skyeward isn't really present until a good while, slowburn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-03
Updated: 2019-06-22
Packaged: 2019-10-03 06:56:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 26
Words: 44,653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17279234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AwakeAndAliveSpartan/pseuds/AwakeAndAliveSpartan
Summary: When a monster rises out of the ashes of Maveth, Phil Coulson finds that his path crosses with Grant Ward once again.As one struggles to hide his mistake and the other with his sense of identity, which one will come out as the real monster?





	1. I'm Fighting the War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The beginning.

******** Coulson collapsed to the ground just as the Maveth portal closed behind him. He groaned and pulled himself to his feet, seeing Fitz brushing the dirt off of himself a few steps away. Daisy came up to him with a worried look on her face.

“What happened?” she asked, wiping the blood that ran from her nose. “You took a long time to come out. I couldn’t keep that portal open much longer.”

Coulson swallowed, thinking of what had just happened between him and Grant. Grant’s dying body laying on the ground, struggling to look up at the stars above him, his heart shattered and torn by Coulson’s very hand. The man struggled to think of a good answer to her question. He wasn’t about to tell her that he had just killed the man once known as Grant Ward. Daisy still had too much of a connection with the man and Coulson didn’t need the castle falling down on them. 

“The Hydra god.” he lied. “It caught up to us.” He looked briefly over to Simmons, “It was hiding in the body of that space boyfriend of yours.” he said, Simmons’ face quickly turning distraught and Fitz rushed over to comfort her. “Fitz and I…” He quickly glared at the young engineer to ensure his silence on this, “We barely made it out alive. The thing got Ward, though. He’s dead. It killed him.” His face was void of any emotion as he spoke. Grant’s death didn’t affect him at all. In fact, he was  _ glad  _ that he had gone ahead and dealt with the man then and there. They wouldn’t have to deal with him anymore. 

Daisy’s face paled as the Director spoke and she couldn’t find the words she wanted to say. There was just  _ no way  _ that Grant Ward of all people could be dead. Hell, he had survived getting shot twice in the gut by her and had come back not too much longer with a shit-eating grin. The man was like a cockroach,  _ nothing  _ could kill him. But, there was something off about Coulson’s words. Something she couldn’t quite place her finger on and it scared her. Perhaps it was the way Coulson spoke, nothing showing on his face as he did so. 

Coulson took Daisy’s silence as an answer and went to push past her, “Come on, let’s get the hell out of here.” he practically commanded. “Before Hydra shows back up. It’s over. It’s done. Their god isn’t crawling out of that damned hole anytime soon. It’s time to go.”

Mack frowned and came over to help Daisy as she limped across the room, “Sir, are we sure that Hydra’s gone?” he asked. “Where the hell did Malick go?”

“We’ll deal with that when the time comes.” Coulson started towards the doorway, “We can’t-”

He stopped abruptly as the ground began to shake beneath the. He spun and turned to look at Daisy, hoping that she was the one that was doing it.

Daisy shook her head weakly, “It’s not me, boss.” she answered. She pulled away from Mack’s support and looked towards where the portal had been. “It’s coming from there. Something… Something’s coming. Something big.” Fear shone brightly in her weakened eyes. Whatever it was, it definitely wasn’t human. 

Coulson frowned and slowly began to head back towards the hole where the portal had been. He froze as he peered into the semi-abyss. The bottom of the hole was beginning to crack apart, an eerie, hellish light shining through. As the cracks grew in size, blasts of heat roared out, almost searing Coulson’s eyebrows off. He yelped and jumped away from the heat just as a large, clawed hand shot out of the cracks. 

“What… The hell?”

Coulson slowly backed away in terror as  _ something  _ began to crawl its way out of the portal hole, the rock all around it cracking apart as it did so. The thing growled as it pulled itself out of the hole, shooting up in the air and landing on the ground with a massive thud, causing the room to shake. And the very sight of the thing terrorized everyone right to their core. 

Now, they weren’t quite sure to what the hell this  _ thing  _ could possibly be. It towered over them, standing at a good 8 feet or so and was bulky with muscle. Not quite Hulk size, but it was almost there. The thing’s skin was made of a rock-like material, almost as black as obsidian. Cracks that glowed with a hellish light were littered across its body. Two massive horns jutted out of it forehead and arced over its skull. A long, black, whip-like tail drug the ground behind it. Its elbows ended in well-defined points and a set of massive wings were stretched out behind it. And as it growled at them, razor-sharp fangs gleamed in the low light. 

If anything, this creature was almost  _ demonic  _ in nature. Could this be the god Hydra had worshipped for centuries? No, something didn’t seem right about it. 

The thing eyed Coulson, an unmeasurable malice in it eyes. The funny thing was that it was  _ only  _ eying Coulson. No one else. It growled, a deep rumble that seemed to resonate around the small room. 

“Coulson,” May warned, pushing Fitzsimmons behind her and Mack. “Get away from that damned thing. Whatever the hell it is. If it’s that thing Hydra was after, we can’t fight it.”

Coulson swallowed and tried his best to look the thing straight in its red, slitted eyes, “W-What are you?” he stammered, taking another nervous step back. “What do you want?”

The monster seemed momentarily confused, looking around the room before turning its attention back to Coulson. Daisy’s heart skipped a beat, swearing that the thing had been looking at  _ her _ . But why her? Something in its eyes pulled at her heart and she didn't like it. 

“I… Don’t know…” the thing rumbled, its voice heavy and deep. Its tail bristled behind it, “Your fault.” it mused. “All your fault.”

“Huh?” Coulson blinked and shook his head. “I don’t understand. How is this  _ my  _ fault?” he asked, his voice shallow. “I don’t even know to what the hell you are.”

“Don’t know. Don't know what happened.”

The thing seemed pained, confused, and angry all at the same time. Like it was confused to what was going on, but was angry about it as well. And it blamed Coulson for some reason or another. If this was really the Hydra god, how was it Coulson’s fault for it being awakened? 

But, Coulson was forgetting one key event that had happened on Maveth. The very thing that led to this monster’s birth. 

“Well, it’s obvious that Hydra worshipped some kind of devil.” Fitz stated from the back of the room, trying to hide behind Mack. “I don’t see a god in that thing.”

“Come on, Fitz. Demons don’t exist. They were merely made up as a personification of pure evil.” Simmons answered, glancing nervously at the monster. “That’s still an alien. Just a very, uh, demonic one. I-”

A sudden, deep growl from the creature silenced her. It harshly glared at her before it suddenly stumbled back, shaking its head as though it was trying to steady itself for some reason or another. It looked around the room, pure confusion shining in its slitted eyes. It was like it couldn’t understand to what was going on. One, it didn’t even know to what it was. Either this thing had amnesia or all of this was extremely new to it. 

It stepped back, glaring at Coulson once again, “I want you  _ dead _ .” it growled, pointing a long, clawed finger at the Director. “You did this to me.”

Coulson’s face fell, “I don’t even-”

He was cut off as a rush of dark red flames suddenly burst from the creature, obscuring it from view. Coulson shielded his eyes from the sudden burst of heat and when the flames died away, the creature was gone. 

“Coulson!” May shouted, motioning for the others to leave the room. “We need to go. Now. That thing may be gone now, but that doesn’t mean it won’t stay gone. It’s obviously got a grudge against you for some reason or another. We need to leave before it comes back.”

“May’s right, sir.” Daisy stated, heading towards the others. “I… I don’t even know to what that thing was. But, it’s obviously dangerous. We can’t be here when it comes back.”

Coulson swallowed and nodded, figuring that they were right. They could figure out what the hell that thing was back in the safety of the base. They couldn’t risk staying here any longer. Either that thing would come back or Hydra would show back up. 

He went to turn around as the others left the room, but he stopped as something laying on the ground caught his attention out the corner of his eye. He turned around, his stomach freezing as he kneeled next to the object. 

“No. No, no, no.” he mumbled, picking up the object with his one hand. “There’s no way. He’s dead.”

He stared at his prosthetic hand, remembering that he had left it next to Grant Ward’s dying body back on that alien planet. He stared in horror, his eyes trailing back to the portal, seeing small flames still burning on the rocks where that creature had broken through. There was only one reason to why the hand had shown back up. 

“Coulson!” May called from the doorway, snapping Coulson back to the present. Coulson jumped up and hid his prosthetic behind his back. “Come on!”

Coulson swallowed the lump that had long formed in his throat, leaving the room without a word. Fear weighed heavily in his stomach, realizing the extent of the mess he may have just created. And he feared to just who they were dealing with, even if they were now twisted by some unknown force.

_ “Oh, god. What have I done? No, what have I created?” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I don't know how well this will do since it's another one of my strange Monster! Ward ideas. But the rundown is that Grant being killed by Coulson on Maveth woke up a monster that had always been inside of him. And this isn't a Coulson-friendly piece, he's the villain here. It runs off the self-righteousness he has and some other stuff. And the Skyeward won't show up for several chapters, but there will be hints to it here and there. I hope that you enjoy! Please leave a comment to tell me what you think or leave kudos!


	2. Rather Than War Itself

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Coulson swears to kill the monster before anyone can find out the truth.

(Sometime Later)

Grant Ward’s eyes flew open to a gray, cloudy sky high above him. He sat up, holding his pounding head between his hands. He frowned, suddenly realizing that he was in a grass-laden field out in the middle of nowhere. Looking down, he saw that he was naked. 

“What the hell?” he mumbled. “What…”

He trailed off as panic suddenly set in, remembering Coulson looming above him and the growing pain in his chest as the man began to push. Grant’s hands flew to his chest and he looked down, confusion setting in as he realized that there wasn’t even a single mark on his chest. Like nothing ever happened. 

But, wait, he  _ did  _ remember Coulson trying to kill him. As clear as day. Now, he was in a field that he couldn’t recognize and was naked for some reason or another. All that he couldn’t remember  _ how  _ it happened. He could just remembering a seething, rage-filled feeling that had settled deep into his chest. Some kind of rage that he  _knew_ was directed towards Coulson. A part of him wanted to hunt the man down and make him pay. But another part just wanted for him to go and hide, leave it all behind before it could somehow get worse.

He took a sharp breath and suddenly stood to his feet, looking around the deserted field.  _ “How… How the hell did I get here?”  _ he thought.  _ “I think this is Earth, but how did I get back from Maveth? And what the hell happened to my clothes?”  _ He gripped his head again, another lance of pain shooting through it. 

_ “I… I don’t know what happened.”  _ He began walking across the barren field, hoping that he would run across some civilization sooner or later.  _ “I don’t know where I am. I’m naked.”  _ He suddenly stopped, looking at his hands,  _ “Something feels different. I don’t know what it is. I think… I think something happened to me. Something bad. I don’t feel right. Something’s wrong.” _

Grant shook the thoughts out of his head and continued walking, the grass tickling his bare feet and caves as he walked. He honestly had no idea to what happened. All he remembered was Coulson looming above him then he was here.  _ Something  _ was missing from his memory and, honestly, it terrified him. Something had to get him back to Earth. Something left him stranded and naked in the middle of a stark field. 

_ “No, I’ll worry about that later.”  _ he thought, noticing that the sun was starting to set and kept walking.  _ “I need to find shelter before it gets dark. And I need clothes. And food. I don’t know where the hell I am, but there’s bound to be a house or something nearby. Hopefully the owners won’t mind me breaking in if they’re home. Breaking into a home is the least of my worries at this at this point. Not the worst thing I’ve done either.” _

Grant kept walking, fear prickling in his heart. He knew that something was wrong with him, he just couldn’t even begin to guess to what. He didn't even feel like himself anymore.

He just knew that it was something terrible and had changed him for the worst. 

* * *

 

(Elsewhere)

“So, we really think that this  _ thing _ is the Hydra god?” 

Coulson looked up, trying to ignore the churning in his stomach. “What else could it be?” he asked, looking around at the team. “Any suggestions?”

“I don’t know, uh, Satan?” Daisy suggested, rubbing the bandaging on her arms. Her arms still hurt from trying to hold the portal open. “I don’t think that thing was any kind of god, Coulson. That thing  _ hated  _ you for some reason or another. It said that it wanted you dead. That you did something to it. What the hell was it talking about, Coulson?” She tried to forget how the monster looked at her. Like it knew her. But she didn't know to  _why_ the monster would know her. Something was wrong and a part of her suspected that Coulson knew much more than he was letting on.

He looked away, “I don’t know.” he answered, lying straight through his teeth. “I don’t even know to what that thing was. Perhaps there’s more to what Hydra was after. I don’t know.”

Of course he knew what that thing was talking about. Because that ‘thing’ was somehow Grant Ward. He had teased Coulson with bringing his hand back because he knew that the man would immediately connect two and two. But, how had Grant transformed into a such an abomination? He no longer looked human. The only thing Coulson knew was that him killing Grant had been the trigger for whatever transformation had happened. 

But, he wasn’t about to admit to anyone that he had been the one that had killed Grant. 

They had seemed to forgotten about him telling them that Grant had died in the chaos of the monster’s appearing. And considering that Daisy still seemed to have some sort of attachment to the man, Coulson didn’t want to tell her that he was the one that killed him. He couldn’t handle that yet. They had to deal with the ‘Hydra god’ first.

“Are we sure that we somehow weren’t transported to hell instead?” Fitz asked, crossing his arms. “That thing looked like something straight out of the deepest pits of hell. I’m sure that the Hydra god didn’t look like that when it was possessing Daniel’s corpse. Something’s wrong.”

“Then maybe that monster is its true form somehow.” May stated. “But I want to know to why that thing hates Coulson so much and no one else. Are you sure that you didn’t piss  _ something  _ off on that planet? It was only focused on you and really no one else. Coulson, _something_ had to happen back on that planet. Why else would some demonic creature crawl out of that hole and claim that it wants to kill you?”

“I tried to kill the thing.” Coulson lied once more, shooting Fitz a glare to keep him from saying anything. He feared that the engineer would put two and two together and would figure out that Grant’s death had something to do with the monster appearing from that hole. Fitz  _had_ seen Coulson kill Grant after all. It wouldn't take the man much to figure it out. He was smart. Especially if the monster kept showing up and did go after Coulson. It had said that it wanted to kill him after all. 

No one needed to know of Coulson’s ‘mistake’ just yet. As far as they needed to know, they were pursuing the fabled ‘Hydra god’ and not a mutated Grant Ward. Perhaps they could deal with it before the truth could come to light. And no one would ever have to know the truth.

“So, maybe that’s why it hates me so much.” Coulson continued. “But, we need to deal with it before it causes major damage. I want  _ everyone  _ to work on tracking it. Even tracking Hydra comms. I’m sure that they’ll be after it, too. Their god has run off and they’ll be wanting it back.”

“I still don’t see how that’s a god.” Mack stated, giving everyone a frown. “That thing looked like a demon out of a video game I’ve played. No lie. And I expected something that Hydra modeled everything after to look more, I don’t know, more tentaclely? Not something out of Dante’s Inferno.”

“Maybe it changes.” Coulson suggested, still refusing to say that the monster was really none other than Grant Ward. He needed to track him down before the rest of the team could find it out. They couldn't know that he was responsible for this. “Maybe it changes as it sees fit. If it’s really a god, then maybe it has that capability.”

“Who says that it’s a god?” Fitz asked, crossing his arms. “The Asgardians aren’t gods, even though they were worshipped as such by the Norse. Maybe it’s just that. An alien so powerful that those Hydra lunatics ended up worshipping because they were just that crazy. But, they ended up getting a demonic creature instead.”

“God or not, I want this thing dead before it can cause major damage.” Coulson argued, turning to the screen behind him in the base. He punched a few buttons before pulling up an image of the monster that Daisy had pulled from some of the Hydra equipment that had been left back at the crumbling castle. “That.” he said, pointing at ‘the monster’. “By the looks of that thing, it can probably level a small town without breaking a sweat. That thing is massive. And I wouldn’t put it past it to actually level a small town. It’s a monster and I want it dead.”

Of course he wasn’t telling them the  _ real  _ reason to why he wanted the monster dead. 

“And if I have to, I’ll bring Talbot into this. We may need more help with this.” Coulson continued, staring his team down. 

“I can’t let that thing live.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So a new (early) update and an updated summary! Are you starting to see how I'm making Coulson look in this? He's not going to be the good guy. And if you need an idea of what Grant's demon self looks like, think of Dante's Majin form from Devil May Cry 5 mixed with Devilman. And I really need some feedback with this! I need to know possible things to change or suggestions for what to add in future chapters! (Just don't be rude!) Keep the comments and kudos coming!


	3. It's Easier to Curse than Pray

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Coulson makes a vow to himself.

Grant had managed to find a house and break his way into it, finding that no one was home. He figured that he would stay only long enough to take some clothes and supplies. He hated to take someone else’s clothing, but he had no other choice. As long as they were clean, he assumed that they would be fine. 

He just needed to find him money and supplies that would get him to the next town, hoping that it wasn’t very far since he was travelling on foot. Grant knew that he needed to get to one of his dropboxes so he’d have a fake ID and passport to get him around. He figured that SHIELD probably wasn’t looking for him since he could remember Coulson crushing the life out of him. It was likely that they thought he was dead and that was probably a really good thing. Perhaps he could hide somewhere and wouldn’t have to worry about SHIELD ever finding him again.

But then there was the matter of what happened on Maveth. Grant  _ remembered  _ Coulson trying to kill him, but everything then went dark. There was nothing between that moment and him waking up in the barren field. Something was still wrong.

Grant quickly made his way into the bathroom, hoping to be able to wash himself off as quickly as possible. He rinsed himself off in the small shower and quickly hopped out, going to look at himself in the mirror. He frowned, noticing that something looked  _ different  _ about him. He swore that he looked taller and that his muscles were more defined. His stomach dropped as he brought his hand to one of his ears, seeing that they ended in well-defined points. 

_ “What the fuck? Am I an elf or something?”  _ he thought, stepping away from the mirror.  _ “Something… Something definitely happened, but I just can’t remember it. At all.”  _ He stared down at his hands, “What happened?” he whispered. 

Shaking his head, he figured that it wasn’t important at the moment. His biggest concern right now was gathering the supplies he needed before heading off. Before anyone could come home and see him doing so. All he needed was some clothes and money, if he could find it. 

He headed off into the bedroom, luckily finding some male clothes that actually  _ did  _ fit him, even if they were a little snug in his chest and arms. But they would do until he could manage to get to one of his safehouses. He gathered up a few pairs of jeans, t-shirts, unfortunately underwear and socks, and even a jacket and some boots and stashed them in a duffle bag he found. They would do for now. 

Grant dug around the bedroom, hoping that whoever the owner was happened to stash cash away. And he still didn’t know to where he was, so there was no telling to what kind of cash he would find. He just hoped that it would be enough to get him around. He knew the location of all of his safeboxes, he just had to figure out to where he was first. 

And luckily, his luck was still with him, as he found a bag with a wad of cash in it hidden under the bed. He pulled it out and frowned,  _ “Euros? I must still be in Europe. Wasn’t that castle in Germany? Hell, I can’t remember.”  _ he thought.  _ “But I could be anywhere.”  _ He counted out about 500 euros, which was roughly over $550 in American money.  _ “This will work. This will be enough to get around for a couple of days, but I can’t overdo it. I need to figure out where I am so I can find a safebox. I have about 3 in Europe. One in the UK, one in Germany, and one in Italy. I had more in the US, but I can’t get there now.” _

He took the cash and the clothes-filled duffle bag and headed out into the small living room.  _ “I’ll turn the TV on real quick. That’ll tell me to where I am. Then I’ll grab a few more things and then I’ll be out.”  _ He looked around the room,  _ “I don’t think that they have a security system, so I’m fine. Not like they’ll be able to figure out who I am anyways.” _

Grant turned on the TV, noting that the spoken language on whatever commercial was on was Italian, even though he understood every word.  _ “Italy. Figures. But that makes it easier. My safebox is in Venice. It’s easier for me to blend in here because I can speak the language. I need to get what’s in there and get to a safehouse. I need a new identity. I still don’t know what happened. Even if SHIELD does think that I’m dead, I can’t take any risks. I can’t be going around as Grant Ward still. As far as they know, Grant Ward’s dead.” _

He turned the TV off and took the bag, starting to gather a few supplies. He knew that it was risky to steal a car, so he would have to walk to the nearest town. 

_ “Maybe that’s the truth. Maybe Grant Ward is dead. I don’t know what happened. I remember dying, yet I’m here.”  _ He felt a twinge of hatred flash through his chest, which was directed towards Coulson. Something akin to bloodlust started to rise in his stomach,  _ “Something happened and I don’t like that I don’t remember. Perhaps I’m not even myself anymore.  _

_ Grant Ward is dead. I don't even know who I am anymore.” _

* * *

 

(Elsewhere)

Coulson stared at his prosthetic arm, which laid on his desk. He couldn’t bring himself to put it back on. He knew that Grant had taunted him by throwing the arm back at him. To Coulson, Grant wanted him to know that it was all his fault. That he knew that Coulson was the reason for whatever the hell that happened to him. And Coulson couldn’t stomach it. 

_ “The others don’t know what happened. I can probably keep Fitz’s mouth shut.”  _ he thought.  _ “They don’t need to know what happened. They’ll never know what happened if I can deal with him fast. Ward is a monster now. He was crazy before, I hate to see what he’s capable of now. I don’t understand to how he turned into that thing, unless it was the Hydra god’s doing. But, he needs to be taken out before it can get back. Before the others can know. They don’t need to know that I was the one that killed him.” _

Coulson sighed and pushed the arm away from him,  _ “The team still may hate him, but I don’t want them thinking of me as a killer. I still suspect that Daisy still has residual feelings for him and if she knows that I’m the one that killed him and turned him into that thing, it won't end well.  _

_ And there’s still the matter of  _ how  _ Ward turned into that monster. I don’t think that has anything to do with the Hydra god. Not at all. Something else happened to him. How the hell does a man turn into something worthy of hell itself? Something’s not adding up here. Was he always that way and killing him was just the trigger? Did I kill his human self, allowing whatever he is now to take him over?” _

He shook his head,  _ “Ward was never right in the head. He was always different. Elite. Perhaps him being nonhuman is a reason to why he was the way he was.”  _ he thought.  _ “If he really was always a monster like that, that explains a hell of a lot. The murders. Having no remorse. Just not acting like everyone else. But why now? Why turn into a monster now? I feel like the Devil’s on my shoulders now, quite literally. If he catches up to me, I’ll most likely be killed. I’ve got to figure out a safe way to take him out. Fast. There’s no telling to when he’ll come back and I don’t want to be caught off guard.  _

_ I’ll still contact Talbot about it. I’ll still act like it’s whatever Hydra’s after. Also, it’s highly likely that Hydra will go after Ward as well, thinking that he’s their god. Hell, he’ll probably accept that. I can’t let Ward keep roaming the free world. He needs to be taken out as soon as possible. I can’t let this get out of hand.” _

Coulson sighed and leaned back in his chair, deciding what to do. He figured that contacting Talbot first to get military help would be his best bet. He feared that they would need a tank or something of the sort in order to take Grant out. But, he also needed a way to track Grant down without letting the team know who they were really after. Even Talbot couldn’t know that the monster was Grant Ward. 

This all needed to be put together carefully. No one could know that it was Coulson that killed Grant, therefore releasing this monster. He knew that someone ended up blaming him. To him, it wasn’t his fault that this was happening. He had simply been dealing with their mortal enemy. He couldn’t help that Grant ended up being a literal monster. 

He didn’t believe that this was his fault.

Coulson turned and looked at the photo of the demonic Grant that was still up on the screen behind his desk. He frowned, something starting to churn deep within his stomach. 

“I’ll find you and I’ll personally end this shit once and for all.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, we get a little deeper into Coulson's mind here and to how desperate he is to get rid of Grant. And we also see the beginnings of what will be Grant's spiral. Both not good. Keep the comments and kudos coming!


	4. The Devil Resides in Human Souls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The worst comes to light.

(Three Days Later)

Grant had safely managed to arrive in Venice the day before. He had booked a cheap hotel room the night before using some of the cash that he had stolen. He had already retrieved his stash from his safebox, figuring that it was best that he tried to move as fast as he could. 

He sighed as he looked down at the fake documents in his hand,  _ “I hope that these will get me far.”  _ he thought.  _ “It doesn’t help that I look slightly different than the ID photo.”  _ He gingerly touched the sharp tips of his ears.  _ “But no one will be looking at my ears anyways. They’ll do. I guess that I can pass off as a James Slade.” _

Taking a sharp breath, Grant stood to his feet and stashed the documents and cash away in his duffel bag,  _ “I need some air. Wouldn’t hurt to sightsee for an hour before I leave.”  _ he thought, heading out of the room, making sure that the door was locked behind him.  _ “I just need to clear my head a bit. Not for too long, though. I need to get to a safehouse soon.” _

He left the dingy hotel and walked for a while, taking in the sights and sounds of the Venetian landscape, making sure that he had the hood of his jacket pulled up so no one could see him. He stopped once he reached Piazza San Marco, right in the middle of the crowd of people as they kept moving. 

_ “These people feel different.”  _ he thought, looking around him.  _ “I don’t know what it is. I can actually  _ feel  _ them. It’s like some kind of heat. It’s strange. I don’t like it. It feels… Suffocating...” _

He looked up at St. Mark’s Basilica, a strange feeling brewing in his chest as he looked at the ornate architecture,  _ “I don’t know what happened to me. I remember Coulson killing me.”  _ He swallowed,  _ “Then why am I here? Why am I still alive? Am… Am I even human even more? I’m tired, why didn’t I just stay dead? I know that something’s wrong. Things always somehow get worse for me without fail. I just want to stay fucking dead for once. Why can’t I just get what I want?” _

He shook his head and kept walking, his head down,  _ “I should be enjoying Venice, not hiding like a damn coward. But there’s no use getting caught by SHIELD now, if they somehow run into me. I can’t-” _

His thoughts were cut off as he suddenly bumped into someone and stumbled back. He looked up to see a large man, almost as large as himself, spinning around with anger flaring in his eyes. Grant stepped back a few steps, holding his hands up hoping to avoid a fight. 

_ “Watch where the fuck you’re going!”  _ the man yelled in Italian, pointing at Grant. He frowned as he noticed that Grant didn’t really look Italian to him.  _ “Damn tourists. Probably doesn’t even know what the hell I’m saying.” _

Grant swallowed and shook his head,  _ “Sorry, I was lost in thought.”  _ he replied in Italian, surprising the angry man, whose eyes flared in anger once more.  _ “It won’t happen again.” _

The man’s eyes flared again as Grant went to move around him, grabbing Grant by the shoulder.  _ “Damn right it won’t happen again. You…”  _ he trailed off as the air around them suddenly started to grow hot, like someone had cranked up the thermostat by a lot.

Grant’s body tensed up and he felt a growing, dark, hungry rage starting to build up from out of practically nowhere, “Get your fucking hand off of me.” he hissed in English. “I don’t like anyone touching me.” The images of Coulson’s hand flashed through his mind.

“You’re the one that bumped me!” the man shot back in broken English.  _ “Get your shit together!” _

Grant slowly turned his head to glare at the man out from underneath the cover of his hood and the man suddenly stumbled back, fear starting to shine in his eyes. He took a step towards him, “You don’t touch me.” he growled. “No one touches me.”

“Diavolo!” the man screamed, watching as Grant’s brown irises slowly morphed into a hellish, bloodred color. _“Get away from me! Devil!”_

The man’s words didn’t register at all to Grant, but they did register to the rest of the crowd. Everyone came to a dead stop, their attention being drawn to the two just as Grant’s hand shot out, his fingers closing around the man’s throat. 

“I don’t like you.” Grant stated, hoisting the man into the air and began to squeeze his neck. “You remind me of someone I don’t like.”

“Ah?” The man’s legs flailed beneath him. “I-I do not understand.”

“The man that killed me.”

The crowd surrounding him screamed out in horror as Grant suddenly flung the man across the plaza, his body smashing against the stones. Grant blinked and stumbled backward, suddenly not sure of what was going on anymore. The rage suddenly subsided as fast as it had came on.

“Huh?” He looked around at the terrified crowd, some  _ now  _ starting to pull out their phones and he was lucky that his hood was still pulled over his head. Some muttered ‘monster’ and ‘devil’. He looked over to the bleeding and broken body several feet away and looked back to the crowd, “No… I…” He stepped away from him, starting to feel something clawing at his heart. “I wouldn’t…”

He suddenly collapsed to his knees as the pain in his chest grew about a hundred times worse and lanced out through his body. He placed his hands against the stone for support. “I’m not a devil… I wouldn’t….” He screamed out again and arched his back in agony as he felt his spine start to shift and as his vision went red.

And the crowd ran screaming as the Devil himself came ripping out of Grant Ward’s body.

* * *

  
  


(Elsewhere)

Daisy moped about her room, finding that she couldn’t muster the energy to leave her room. She had felt like utter crap since they had left that castle and that monster behind. Her arms were still wrapped up to help the fractures heal, but something still wasn’t quite right. Something just felt  _ off  _ to her and she didn’t know what it was. 

_ “Something’s wrong here. Why is Coulson so damn adamant about killing this monster? Yeah, it could be the Hydra god. But still. Something’s not right about it.”  _ she thought, looking at the wall.  _ “He’s wanting us to fight a god just because he wants it dead. Why does he have so much hatred for the damn thing?” _

She sighed and sat on the edge of her bed, pushing her hair out of her face.  _ “I know that it’s a threat. A monster. But it seems personal almost. I don’t know why. Is it because that thing wants to kill him? But that monster said that he turned it into that thing. But that doesn’t make sense. What is that monster?” _

She stood up and walked around for a little bit. She stopped as she noticed a fallen photo frame on her dresser, covered by layers of dust. It must’ve fallen long ago and she just had never noticed. She picked it up and her heart immediately shattered, seeing that it was of her and the original team, all smiles as they stood together outside of the Bus.

Before Fitz had become broken. Before Coulson had become calloused and cold. Before… Before Grant had betrayed them all and had revealed himself as a heartless killer. Before he had died. 

Her heart wrenched as she quickly placed the photo away, not wanting to look at the shadow of Grant. She then found that there were tears in her eyes. No, why would she be crying for a man that hurt them all? Even he had never hurt her directly, he still had been a monster. But now that monster was dead.

Why should she care, though? Wouldn’t she be glad that he was dead? But why did it feel as though something had been torn away from her? Why did she feel so empty?

_ “No, I should be glad that he’s dead.”  _ she thought, sitting back down on the bed.  _ “He did so much to hurt us. I shouldn’t care for him anymore. He can’t hurt us now. He can’t kill anyone anymore. But… Something just doesn’t feel right. I just can’t….”  _ Her thoughts trailed off and she shook her head. 

Honestly, she didn’t know what to think or feel anymore. It still felt as though her heart had been ripped out of her chest, even though she  _ knew  _ that she shouldn’t feel this way. Everything just felt so wrong.

Her attention was torn back to the present as the door flung open. She jumped up and spun to see Mack standing in the doorway, a very worried expression on his face.

“Mack? What’s wrong?”

Mack swallowed and nodded back over his shoulder, “Coulson wants us all in a briefing. Now.” he stated. “That monster showed back up. In Italy. People are dead this time around.”

Daisy’s stomach dropped, “Wait, what?”

“Just come on. You need to see the footage yourself. It’s… It’s rough.”

And as Daisy quickly followed Mack, worry started to turn to stone deep within her stomach. This was the monster that  _ they  _ released. 

Were they truly at fault for whatever carnage that had occured?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, the reappearance of the monster. In probably the most ironic place possible. And the Skyeward finally starts to show itself. Good, right? Keep the comments and kudos coming! (Please let me know what you think!)


	5. There's a Devil Inside Crawling Out of Your Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grant finds out just what he's capable of.

Coulson looked at the team with a grim expression as he pulled up the footage on the screen behind his desk, “This started circulating on social media not too long ago. We estimate that this happened about an hour ago. In Venice.” he stated. “Unfortunately, we can’t tell who the person is due to the hood he has on. But it’s clearly a male. You… You just need to watch to understand.”

He pressed play and the shaky video footage started, focusing on the man in the black hoodie. The air seemed to shimmer around him and they could see a body laying broken on the stone several feet away from the man, the stone torn up where the body had hit it. 

“Huh?” they heard the man ask, his voice distorted by some otherworldly force. The crowd around him whispered in horror. ‘Mostro’ and ‘diavolo’ were the most common terms uttered by the Italian crowd. Monster. Devil. 

A reddish glow came from out the cover of his hood and the man looked to the broken and bleeding body behind him. “No… I….” He shook his head and looked back to the crowd. “I wouldn’t.”

The man suddenly collapsed to his knees and braced himself, pressing his hands against the stone beneath him. “I’m not a devil…. I wouldn’t….” He suddenly screamed out in agony, arching his back as wings suddenly shredded his hoodie and spikes began to rise through the skin on his back and flames started to dance from his skin. The team’s eyes widened as the hooded man suddenly was ripped and torn into the monster back from the Hydra castle. 

Something hung heavy in Daisy’s chest. The man’s voice had sounded almost  _ familiar  _ to her, even if it had been twisted and distorted. No… She knew this voice and she seemed to be the only one that recognized it. She took another look at the monster as it launched itself towards the crowd, “Grant?” she muttered. “No… There’s no way….”

The video suddenly cut off there.

Coulson took a sharp breath, “I imagine that you know what happened from there.” he stated. “Officials say that about 10 people were killed and many more injured before the monster suddenly flew off. But here’s the strangest part.” He pulled up another image. An aerial view of what seemed to be a crack in the stone. “The ground cracked open as the monster raged, revealing a lava pool deep below. Officials think that the monster somehow managed to control volcanic activity, tapping into a hidden lava reservoir below Venice. Meaning that if that monster had kept up, it could created a volcano or could’ve simulated volcanic activity. Possibly destroying Venice.”

“There’s no volcanoes near Venice.” Simmons stated. “Yes, it’s possible that there are underground lava pools due to the numerous volcanoes there. But still.”

“Meaning, there’s no telling to what this monster could be capable of if it can control lava that was deep underground.” Coulson continued.  _ “What the hell did Ward turn into? He’s more dangerous than I thought. Controlling both fire and lava? What the hell is he? I need to deal with this more quickly than I thought.” _

Mack frowned, looking at the images on the screen, “Anyone else find it strange that this was in front of St. Mark’s Basilica?” he asked. “A freaking Catholic church? A man violently transforms into what looks like a demon, kills people, and causes the ground to crack open to reveal what looks like hell. I don’t want to be that guy, but I’m really starting to believe that we’re really dealing with a demon here.”

May blinked, “Honestly, after all we’ve dealt with, I wouldn’t be surprised.” she stated. “But that just gives us all the reason to go after it.”

Coulson nodded, “Since I’ve been working with Talbot as of late, we’re starting to be recognized as a legitimate organization again. So, we’ve been granted clearance to go into Venice to investigate.” he stated. “Get ready, we’re leaving in an hour and a half.”

Daisy continued to stare at the photos as everyone began to leave the room,  _ “What the hell? I swear that it sounded like Ward.”  _ she thought.  _ “But there’s no way. He’s dead. Coulson said so himself.” _ Her stomach dropped, watching Coulson leave the room. 

_ “Unless…. Unless Coulson’s hiding something from us.” _

* * *

 

(Elsewhere)

Grant ran through the alleyways, desperately holding onto a blanket he had stolen off of someone’s balcony. He could hear the emergency sirens in the distance, all heading back towards the plaza. Back towards the  _ carnage _ he had caused. 

He had snapped back to himself not too long ago, seeing the strange, rock-like material receding back into his skin. He could  _ remember _ what had happened before his mind had gone blank. He could remember the man getting angry at him for running into him. He could remember throwing the man across the stones and the horrified crowd. And he could remember the pain as something came ripping out of his skin. 

He could remember flashes of things between then and when he came to. But, it was nothing but screaming citizens and tourists and the ground cracking open beneath him. 

_ “I… I don’t know what’s going on. Something’s inside of me. I need to get it out.”  _ he thought.  _ “Whatever that thing is has to be the reason to why I’m alive. But… But that means Coulson’s the reason to why it happen.”  _ A brief flash of rage lanced through his chest and he struggled to push it back down.  _ “I know that it killed people. I don’t remember exactly to what happened, but I just know that it killed people.  _

_ I need to get back to the motel. Take a breather for a bit. Authorities will be looking for that monster. SHIELD may be called in, but I’ll be long gone once they’re here. No one other than that man saw my face. And… He’s dead now. I’ll be okay long enough for me to get cleaned up.” _

Grant ran as fast as he could back to the motel, which was surprisingly fast to him. He made sure that no one saw him on the way back and as he slipped into his room. He made quick work of showering the grime and what looked like soot off of him and then throwing clothes on. Once he was done, he plopped down onto the bed and buried his head in his hands. 

_ “What the hell happened to me?”  _ he thought.  _ “Am… Am I even myself anymore?” _

He stood up and shook his head, trying once again to push back down the growing rage.  _ “I… I need to figure out just what the hell happened to me.”  _ he thought, looking at the door.  _ “I need to get out of here before it’s too late. I can’t let it happen again. But, what… What happened?” _

Taking a sharp breath, he grabbed the remote and turned on the TV to find that the news was on. Covering the destruction that he had caused. 

_ “Witnesses claim that a hooded man got into an argument with a civilian, which turned sour when the man threw the civilian across the Plaza, killing him. The man suddenly freaked out and that’s when witnesses claim that a fiery monster came ripping out of him.”  _ the reporter stated in Italian, which was as clear as English to Grant.  _ “This grainy photo is all we have of what witnesses claim to be the monster.” _

Grant’s stomach dropped as he stared at the photo that was flashed up onto the screen. It was blurry and hard to really see, but he could make out a hulking, flaming monster with wings outstretched behind it. 

_ “Authorities report that 10 people have died and many more are injured.”  _ the reporter continued gravely.  _ “The plaza was cracked in half during the monster’s rampage. We…” _

The reporter’s words became warbled as Grant started at the aerial photo. His mind trying to process just what was going on.Sure enough, a massive crack sliced the Plaza right in half, fire glowing from deep within in.

“I… Did  _ that? _ ” he muttered to himself. A part of him was thrilled at the prospect of absolute power. If he truly had the power to crack the Earth itself open…

He shook his head to clear that thought away. People were  _ dead _ . Innocent people. All because of whatever the hell he was. All because of what  _ Coulson  _ had done to him.

No, this wasn’t his fault. This was Coulson’s. Grant was sure that Coulson killing him had turned him into this thing. But the real question was to  _ how _ . 

Grant knew that whatever he was had nothing to do with the Hive god. It was the stark opposite of a god. It was an absolute demon. But,  _ why  _ had he turned into it? He knew that it wasn’t random. It had to do with him. 

Was he born like this? Was he always like this and it just took him dying to release it? Was this the reason to why his life had been so damned fucked up?

A growl escaped Grant’s lips and he swung his fist into the brick wall, breaking right through the thick brick. He pulled his arm out, seeing that the brick had cut his arm up. His mouth fell open as he watched the cuts almost immediately close up, the blood drying up. 

A smile pulled at his lips as something shined in his eyes. 

_ “No… This is power…”  _  he thought, grabbing up his bag so he could leave, something deep within him starting to claw at his mind. Something starting to warp him to its advantage.  _ “But… But, I still need to figure out where it came from. But, there’s no telling to what else I could do. This could be  _ fun. _ ” _

_ Maybe… Maybe I should give Coulson my thanks.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Grant found out a part of what happened to him. And keep in mind, he's really no longer himself. He's basically two sides that's currently at war at one another. That's why he seems so flip-floppy with his thinking. Keep the comments and kudos coming! Give me ideas! Speculate about what's to come!


	6. You Hold the Truth Like a Knife

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grant starts to discover his power.

(Sometime Later)

The Zephyr landed at a small airstrip right outside of Venice. Coulson had only told May and Daisy to accompany him, with Fitz, Simmons, Mack, and Elena staying behind in the Zephyr to try and study what surveillance had been acquired of the monster. 

“This is the good thing about being an actual organization again.” Coulson began, driving the SUV out of the bay of the Zephyr. “We don’t have to sneak around anymore.”

“You still had to contact Talbot and have him contact someone with the Italian military to let us come.” May deadpanned from the passenger’s seat. “It still takes a lot of work to get somewhere.”

Coulson shrugged, “Better than sneaking around. At least it only took a few hours for us to get permission.”

“Yeah, but that monster could be long gone by now. The incident was the other day.” Daisy stated. “It’s still someone. It talked. It has conscious thought. And if it’s smart, it would’ve gotten the hell out of here.”

“It still doesn’t hurt to investigate.”

Daisy sighed and sunk into her seat,  _ “Why did that guy sound like Grant?”  _ she thought.  _ “The voice was distorted, but there’s no mistaking that it sounded like Grant. The height and build of the man was about right, maybe slightly bigger.”  _ She looked at the back of Coulson’s head as he drove,  _ “Maybe Coulson knows more than he’s letting on. He seems awfully concerned in finding this guy. And I don’t think it’s because he thinks it’s the Hydra god. But, he’s not going to tell me the truth. Does Fitz know something? He’s seemed scared ever since they got back from that planet. He has to know something.” _

The atmosphere of the car was heavy and tense as they headed into Venice, stopping a few blocks away from the Plaza. Coulson motioned for the two of them to follow him. 

“We already have the clearance to go in.” he began. “If any authorities ask, just show them your badge. That should be good enough.”

Daisy nodded numbly, following behind the two. They walked into the destroyed plaza, stopping as they saw the destruction. They weren’t kidding when they said that the monster had split the earth in half. The crack was massive, still steaming from the cooling lava far beneath it. The stone plaza was all torn up and the buildings showed a good bit of damage. 

The one thing that stood out the most, though, was the damage to the Basilica. It wasn’t major, but there were already construction crews working to repair the damage. Daisy agreed with Mack. She found it  _ extremely  _ ironic that a demon-like monster had appeared in front of a church, literally cracking open the ground in front of it. She took another look at the massive crack, feeling like she was staring straight into the entrance of hell itself. 

She hated to say it, but that monster  _ had  _ to be a demon. There was no other explanation for it. 

But why had the man that had turned into the demon sounded just like Grant Ward? She looked over to Coulson as he talked to a member of the Italian police. She bit her lip,  _ “Something’s not right here. I have a bad feeling about this. I think Coulson knows what’s going on, but he’s refusing to tell us what’s going on. I don’t think this is the god that Hydra was after. It’s something much worse. But it’s clearly walking around in Grant’s skin. I know what I heard. I know his voice. But, Coulson’s keeping the truth from us for a reason. And I hate to know why.” _

She took a breath as Coulson returned to her and May, “So, get this.” he began. “There were unknown soldiers here yesterday ‘investigating’ the crack. Authorities thought it was SHIELD, but as far as I know we’re the first of SHIELD here since I’m the Director. Sounds like Hydra’s already on the thing’s tail.”

“If it’s really their god, then they wouldn’t want it roaming freely around.” May stated, staring at the crack. “They probably want it in their possession to do whatever the hell they’re going to do with it.”

“But that thing’s long gone. We don’t know where it’s gone.”  Daisy stated, not looking at them. “There’s no telling to where it’s at now. Hydra’s as lost as we are.”

“Yeah, but it’s still not a good sign that they’re looking for that monster.” Coulson stated in response. He fell silent for a moment, taking in the destruction around him,  _ “Hydra probably thinks that Ward is their god.”  _ he thought.  _ “That’s not good. I wouldn’t put it past him to revel in that.”  _ He looked at the crack in the earth,  _ “But if Ward’s capable of such power… I can’t let him keep running around. Before he does something way worse than this. I should consider myself lucky that he didn’t do more damage than he did.  _

_ I also can’t let them know of who the monster really is. I need to deal with this before his identity surfaces. I’m surprised that Fitz hasn’t put two and two together yet. I need to keep him silent. I can’t let this get out of hand. Ward is my responsibility. And I want him dead. I need to find a way to put him down once and for all.” _

Something dark gleamed in his eyes as he turned from Daisy and May,  _ “I need to stop this soon. Before things get worse.” _

* * *

 

(Elsewhere, The Next Day)

Grant stared off into the woods surrounding his safehouse. He had arrived in the Tennessee mountains that morning, thanks to an old contact of his that was more than willing to help him out. He was just glad that he was off the European continent since he had found out that SHIELD had recently been in Venice. That would throw SHIELD off for a while. He just had to figure out a way to keep from transforming into that monster. That monster would definitely give him away. He had to keep it hidden.

_ “Is this my life now?”  _ he thought to himself.  _ “Always running and hiding? A monster capable of unspeakable things underneath my skin? Even though I  _ love  _ the power I feel, I know that that thing isn’t me. I couldn’t help what happened in Venice. I couldn’t stop that. That wasn’t my fault. _

_ If anything, it’s Coulson’s. I’m sure that him killing me released that thing. Turned me into this monster.”  _ A flash of anger shot through his chest and he shook his head to try and clear it,  _ “Even though I feel amazing. Better than I’ve ever had before, I can’t ignore that darkness I know is that monster. I don’t know whether to thank him or curse him. Perhaps both.”  _ A grim smile suddenly pulled at his lips,  _ “It still wouldn’t hurt to pay him a little visit. Do the others even know that they’re actually after me? Probably not. Coulson’s too self-righteous to admit that he made a major mistake.” _

Grant swallowed and began to walk away from the cabin he was calling his temporary home,  _ “Maybe… Maybe I should try to see what I’m capable of. There has to be more to me now than just that monster. If I can open the ground and that monster was covered in flames. I have to be able to do something. And I need to be able to tap into that something in case SHIELD or Hydra ends up catching up to me.” _

He walked for a while until he found a small clearing a good ways from the cabin, just in case something ended up happening.  _ “I have to be able to do something. I am a monster. I’m… I’m not human.”  _ A stab of sadness shot through him at the reminder that he didn’t even know to what he was anymore.

Standing in the middle of the clearing, he closed his eyes, trying everything he could to will the ground beneath him to open. After ten minutes of absolutely nothing happening, he sat on the ground with a disappointed huff.  _ “I’ve got to have some kind of power if I can turn into that thing. I know that there’s no way I’m gonna be able to control it.”  _ he thought, even though a part of him longed to be able to freely control the creature. The power it would give him would be immeasurable. 

Oh, the thought of absolute  _ power _ . The one thing that he never had. The power to be stronger than everyone who had ever wronged him. The power to show that he was far greater than him. The power to truly show them.

He shook his head,  _ “No… That’s… That’s not what I want. I don’t even know to what that thing is. That thing killed innocent people.”  _ he thought, starting to feel sick to his stomach.  _ “But, I’m not at fault for that. It’s not my fault that that thing killed them. I can’t help that I turned into that thing. _

_ It’s all Coulson’s fault. His self-righteous ass.”  _ The anger started to build back up deep within his chest.  _ “He’s the one that killed me. He’s the one that turn me into  _ this. _ ” _

The rage came bubbling up out of Grant’s chest, crawling its way up and out of his throat as he stood to his feet. He found that it was suddenly hard to breathe, like everything was crashing down onto him. 

“God damn it!” 

A bright light suddenly flared around him with a sudden blast of heat. Grant blinked and tried to ground himself to his surroundings and his stomach flipped once he saw what had happened. 

The ground around him for a good five foot radius was charred and smoking, small patches of flames scattered here and there. He blinked again and held out his hands at looked down, eyes widening as he saw flames burning off of his very skin. A smile pulled at his lips, some deep and dark part of his mind absolutely thrilled at the sight. 

The flames snuffed away as he looked at them. Grant turned his palm up and concentrated, his smile returning as a small flame blazed to life in the center of it. 

_ “Fire. I can create fire.”  _ he thought.  _ “How ironic.” _

Perhaps that was why he had always been so attracted to fire. It made a lot of sense. So, maybe he had never been human. It just took Coulson killing him to reveal who he really was. Now, Grant was definitely confused on whether to thank the man or get his revenge. Perhaps he wanted both. 

_ “SHIELD can’t stop me like this.”  _ he thought, the flame in his hand flickering out.  _ “I’m fucking strong. I heal incredibly fast. Flames. And there’s that monster. If I have to somehow rely on it. I don’t think they can stop me. I’m already tired of running. Maybe I should stop this now before they have the chance to get the upper hand. They’ll catch up eventually. I need to stop it before it gets worse. Before Coulson can do something even stupider.” _

His smile grew as something else inside of him began to change. As what little was left of his human side began to deteriorate. Perhaps, he would soon no longer look human as he began to grow hungrier and hungrier for more power. 

_ “I’ll show them. They’ll finally learn to leave me the hell alone.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I'm definitely aiming for a darker Grant here, one who's being corrupted by the monster inside of him. But, I'm not making him evil, I can assure you that. Keep the comments and kudos coming! And any guesses of what's to come? I love to hear speculation!


	7. I've Seen the Holy Take to a Fool

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hydra catches up to Grant and he comes to a realization.

(A Week Later)

Grant quietly approached town, parking his stolen truck behind the trees. Even though the civilians here only saw him as a visitor, so they really didn’t suspect anything out of them. Grant did find, though, he harbored some resentment towards the civilians for some reason or another and he wasn’t sure to why. But, he was still good at putting a smiling face on long enough to grab some supplies. 

He had spun the story that he had a winter cabin deep within the mountains that he had recently bought. A believable story nonetheless, saying that he just wanted some time to himself with just peace and quiet around him. No one needed to know the truth. No one needed to know of the monster that hid underneath his skin. It hadn’t given him any problems since that day in Venice, just the nightly nightmare about it. 

Grant had also been working hard on controlling his flames, which he found to be surprisingly easy. Like he was always meant to do so. Like they weren’t just thrust upon him just in the last week. But, he had found, that they seemed to be the only power he could control. He hadn’t been able to crack apart the earth. Perhaps that was something that came with the monster. Something that he refused to touch. 

He didn’t want to go there. Not yet.

Overall, he found the last week to be extremely peaceful for him, except for the nightmares and the constant budding anger. But, still, it was nice, even if he was constantly looking over his shoulder for Coulson or a Hydra agent. That was something that he was used to. 

But, today, that all proved to come to an end. 

Grant had been buying some groceries from the small general store that was on the town’s main street. He didn’t risk going into heavily populated areas, so he stayed to the small town. At least people were nice and didn’t look twice at him. No one really cared about him here and that was probably the greatest thing for him at this point in time. 

He had left the store to find the street completely empty; it had been pretty busy not too long ago. Well, busy for a small town. But now, there was not a soul on the street. The hairs on the back of Grant’s neck pricked up and he dropped his three bags as he felt someone approaching. His stomach dropped as armed men appeared from around the buildings. But, this wasn’t SHIELD. 

This was Hydra. 

He knew a Hydra agent anywhere. He just didn’t understand to how they had tracked him down so damn fast. It had only been a week. Something was wrong. But, he couldn’t react here. He didn’t want anyone getting hurt all because he couldn’t control himself.

He stayed silent and watched as 8 heavily-armed soldiers approached him. They stopped and parted, allowing an older man pass through. The man stopped and just stared at Grant in awe. And that gave Grant the only answer he needed. 

_ “Malick.”  _ Grant thought.  _ “And by the crazed look in his eyes, he doesn’t realize that it’s me. I think he thinks I’m the monster back on that planet.” _

“What do you want?” Grant deadpanned, keeping his voice flat and even. 

Malick smiled, brushing off his suit as he took a step towards Grant, “We sent Ward to that planet as a sacrifice. I didn’t think that you would choose him as a host.” he said in practical awe, making Grant want to throw up. “My name’s Gideon Malick.”

Grant blinked,  _ “I was sent there to die anyways?”  _ he thought in horror.  _ “He… He said I would be a part of something big. Something grand. But, I was nothing more than a fucking sacrifice? He makes me fucking sick. But… He does think that am that  _ thing.  _ I better keep the guise up. It may work in my favor. I can use them to my advantage. Keep SHIELD off of my back.” _

“You could’ve done better.” Grant stated, no lick of emotion within his voice. “A lot better.”

“Well,” Malick began, taking another step towards Grant. “We were limited in our options. But I’m surprised that you took to his body well. Even though I swore that you would’ve looked a lot different.”

Grant cocked his head, “I don’t understand.”

“Well, the old texts we studied and the sculptures on Maveth led us to believe that you looked differently.” Malick stated, referring to the demon that had raged in Venice. “We didn’t expect such a… Brute.”

“I’ve been alive for a long time.” Grant said, keeping up the lie. “Did you really expect me to stay the same way for so long? Things change. I can tell that you think me to be  _ very  _ powerful. You clearly underestimated me.”

“Well, we clearly know barely anything about you.”

“So, you are assuming things about me that are only guesses.” Grant blinked, noticing that Malick was eying the bags of groceries he had dropped. Probably wondering to why an ancient being was grocery shopping. “This body has its limitations. It is  _ human  _ after all.” Grant felt a twinge of sadness at that lie. He was far from human. “It needs human food.” He bent down to pick the bags back up, “Now, get out of my way.”

Malick stepped back, frowning in confusion, “Wait, we  _ freed  _ you.” he began to protest, stepping back in front of Grant. “We were hoping to get your help with a little something.”

Grant blinked again, “So you let me out of that hell just to ask me for a favor?” he asked. “I was trapped on that planet for hundreds of years. Don’t you think that I would like some time to myself? Some time for me to acclimate to this world?”

“But,”

A small smirk pulled at the corners of Grant’s lips as he thought of something. If he was going to use Hydra’s worship to his advantage, he was going to exploit the hell out of it. “You know what?” he began, staring straight at Malick. “You do something else for me and I’ll think about helping you with whatever the hell you want.”

Malick narrowed his eyes at him, “And what’s that?”

“You keep anyone off of my trail. I understand that an organization by the name of SHIELD is after me as well, but they seek to kill me.” Grant’s smirk remained on his face. “You keep them away from me, I’ll think about your favor.”

A muscle seemed to twitch in Malick’s face. Of course he had thought about the being possibly not wanting to go along with his demands. But, it still bothered him. And it was obvious that the thing was relying on Grant Ward’s memories since he already seemed to know so much about the world around him. Perhaps that was a good thing, but still. He couldn’t have their practical god running around freely in the world. That wouldn’t do. Not at all.

“Look,” Malick began. “We,”

Flames flared in Grant’s eyes as he snarled, “You  _ will  _ do as I say if you hope to have my help.” he hissed. “I don’t think you realize what I’m capable of, do you? I could easily kill all of you in a matter of seconds. You do not need to be on my bad side, and you’re already starting to get there.”

Fear actually started to shine somewhere deep within Malick’s eyes and he backed off, “Fine. We have a deal.” he answered. “We’ll, uh, make sure that we keep SHIELD or anyone else off of you.”

Grant smiled and there was something about it that chilled Malick to his core, “Good. I just want time to acclimate to this world. Surely you can understand.” he stated. “I’m not looking to do anything right now. I was trapped on that planet for hundreds of years, don’t expect me to do something huge right away.” His smile remained on his face as he pushed past Malick and began to walk away, “Surely I can expect you to keep your word. You help me, I help you.” he lied. “It’s as simple as that, right?”

Malick remained silent and Grant took that as a yes.

Grant’s smile grew and he began to walk away, but something stopped him. He turned to look at the almost-trembling Hydra leader, “Tell me, how the hell did you find me?” he asked, his voice low. “I made sure to cover my tracks.”

Malick swallowed, “That pilot you hitched a ride with sure is loose-lipped.”

A snarl briefly flashed on Grant’s face before he stalked away, leaving Malick and his agents behind. He was gonna have to find a better hiding spot.

_ “At least they’ll keep SHIELD away from me, but I’ll have to keep up this ‘god’ gimmick. Malick’s so blinded by his desires that he doesn’t even realize that he’s being played like a fucking fiddle. At least it buys me time.  _

_ I’ll use Hydra to my complete advantage.” _

* * *

 

(Elsewhere, Sometime Later)

Daisy sat alone in her room, watching her computer. Coulson had tasked her on watching for Hydra activity since they had been spotted in Venice. The man had been in a frenzy ever since they had gotten back to the base; he didn’t want Hydra getting to the ‘monster’ before SHIELD could. 

“This is ridiculous.” she muttered to herself. “It’ll take hours to find something. I’ll be up all night just because Coulson’s so weird about this. He's been pushing us left and right. We  _just_ got back from Venice. I would like a break for once." She sighed, "I still swear that something’s wrong. I still swear that that guy sounded just like Grant. I need to find out just what’s going on. I don't understand to _how_ Grant Ward could be that thing. Something happened to him and...” She trailed off and shook her head, "I want to find that out before it's too late."

She still couldn’t put two and two together to why Grant and that demonic monster would be connected. But she knew what she heard. She would know his voice anywhere. And she didn’t think that the monster had  _ anything  _ to do with the Hydra ‘god’. Something was off about it and she couldn’t tell to just what that was. 

Daisy took a sharp breath and leaned back, watching the program she had made to alert her to any Hydra activity, mainly monitoring their comms and even social media hits of any posts that happened to include anything that seemed to be related to Hydra.  _ “Again, this’ll take all freaking night. Coulson’s going to work me to death here. And I still feel like he’s hiding something from all of us. But, do I really want to know what that is?” _

She stared up at the ceiling for what seemed like an eternity before the program dinged, giving her a close hit. She frowned and looked at the screen, seeing that it was a Twitter post from somewhere in Tennessee. Daisy pulled up a photo of a group of black-clad men in a small town square, seemingly taken from someone inside of a building right next to the group. Perhaps in hiding. She quickly ran it through photo enhancement software to get a clearer shot of the image. The clearer resolution revealed that an older man in a suit was talking to someone in a black hoodie. 

She zoomed in on the suited man, her stomach growing cold as she realized who it was.  _ “Malick.”  _ she thought.  _ “He’s come far. He was the one after the monster, maybe that means the monster is in the states now. But who is he talking to?”  _ She began to zoom in on the hoodie-wearing man,  _ “I don’t….” _

Her thoughts trailed off as she looked at the man. Even if it was a side view, the face was as clear as day to her. Her heart started to grow cold as she stared at him. Even if something seemed a little bit different about him to her, it still confirmed to her that he was still alive. And that he was  _ definitely  _ connected to the monster now. Hydra was after him. And Hydra had found him. 

Daisy brought a hand to her mouth,  _ “Grant… He’s… He’s still alive. So, I was right. But how? Coulson said that the Hydra god killed him. That it was in the body of that Daniels guy. Like a parasite of some sort. So… Is… Is it in Grant’s body? Is he still dead and that thing is inside of him? No… Something’s not right. I heard him in that video. He still sounded exactly like himself. Afraid. Scared. Like he had no idea of what’s going on. It’s still him. But something happened to him on that planet.” _

She swallowed and kept staring at the photo of Grant, not sure of what to make of it. But she knew that she wouldn’t show this to Coulson. She was sure that Hydra would pop up again soon enough. But, was Grant with them? Did he return to them? Daisy wasn’t sure, but she didn’t want to think about that right now. She knew of one thing, though. 

Coulson  _ knew  _ of what had happened to Grant Ward. 

And there was a reason to  _ why _ he wasn’t telling them and Daisy was starting to fear that she already knew the answer to why. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick note here. Grant is NOT loyal to Hydra. He is merely only using them to his advantage since he believes him to be their god (Hive) and is already devoted to him. So, he's being smart and is manipulating them so he can keep SHIELD away for the time being. Just wanted to point that out. Any guesses to what's coming? Keep the comments and kudos coming!


	8. The Truth Became a Casualty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daisy comes to a horrifying realization.

(The Next Day)

Daisy didn’t sleep at all the night before. Every time she closed her eyes, she could see the vivid image of that monster ripping its way out of Grant’s body. The image of Malick and Grant was still ingrained in her brain. Grant was  _ alive. _ And, honestly, she wasn’t sure of if she should be happy or terrified. 

She was confident that Grant was still Grant, even if he could turn into that demonic creature. Grant Ward being capable of  _ that  _ kind of power scared her. He had never been in his right mind, so there was no telling to what kind of ideas that power would give him. Especially if he was still seeking revenge against Coulson.

But still, it made sense to  _ why  _ Coulson was so concerned with finding him. Did Coulson already know that the monster they were pursuing was Grant Ward? It made sense, but how did Coulson know to who it was unless he had already known what had happened. 

Come to think of it, Daisy did remember that Coulson had acted strangely after they had left the castle. After that monster had confronted him. After the monster had said that it was ‘Coulson’s fault’ and that ‘he did it to him’. And that monster had hated Coulson with every fiber of its body. So, was it possible that Coulson  _ had  _ done something to Grant, leading to Grant turning into that monster? But, Coulson had said that Grant had been  _ killed.  _

Daisy’s stomach started to turn to ice as she put two and two together and she jolted up in bed.

“Coulson killed Grant.” she muttered in absolute horror, refusing to believe that Coulson would do such a thing. Even if he had hated the man’s guts with a burn passion. “That’s why he’s so determined to go after the monster. He doesn’t want us to know that it’s really Grant and that it’s due to that….” She trailed off, jumping out of the bed and grabbing her laptop. “That’s why Fitz is so jumpy lately. He  _ knows  _ what happened. He’s just been too afraid to say anything. He knows exactly what happened to Grant.”

She rushed out of her room and headed towards the lab, luckily finding that Fitz was alone. Without Simmons. Perfect. She just needed to talk to him and him alone. 

“Fitz.”

The engineer looked up, frowning as he saw the sickened and bewildered expression on Daisy’s face, “Daisy?” he asked, standing to his feet. “What’s wrong?”

Daisy swallowed, shoving her laptop underneath her arm, “Can we talk? Alone?”

Fitz blinked, “What do you mean? About what?”

She looked around the lab before looking back to him, “I’d rather us be alone.” she answered. “Before I say anything. Just me and you.”

“Uh, sure? If you want alone, I’d suggest going back to your room or something so no one else walks in, if you’re worried about that. The lab’s not exactly what I would call private.”

“Please.”

Fitz licked his lips and nodded, following Daisy back to her room. He sat on the edge of her disheveled bed as she locked the door, turning to look back at him. “Daisy, what’s wrong?” he asked. “You’re starting to scare me.”

“Fitz,” Daisy began slowly, fumbling with her laptop. “You know what happened on Maveth, don’t you?”

Fitz’s face paled, “What do you mean?”

“Coulson’s been hiding something and you know exactly what happened.”

He began to play with the hem of his shirt, “I don’t… I don’t get what you’re trying to say.” he stammered, clearly growing afraid.

“You know exactly what I’m trying to say here.” Daisy deadpanned. “The ‘Hydra god’ didn’t kill Ward, right? It was Coulson, wasn’t it?”

Fitz blanched and looked away for a while, remaining silent for a bit. He swallowed, “Yes. It was.” he muttered. He looked back to Daisy, who had a horrified expression on her face, “Daisy, I’m sorry, I would’ve said something. But… But, Coulson told me not to. He was explicit on that.”

Daisy took a sharp breath to steady herself and she pulled her desk chair out in front of Fitz and sat down, a sick feeling starting to grow within her stomach. She licked her lips, “So, you know that the ‘Hydra god’ that we’re after is really Ward, don’t you?” she asked, opening up her laptop to pull up the photo she had found the night before. 

“I knew that it was Ward from the time that it crawled out of that portal and targeted Coulson.” Fitz stated meekly. “But… But I was too afraid to say anything. Coulson ordered me into silence and I was afraid that he would do something to me if I said anything.”

“What… What did he do?”

Fitz took a breath, “Coulson didn’t go to that planet to rescue me, I can assure you of that.” he began. “He was dead set on killing Ward and was probably more than willing to sacrifice me in order to do so. Ward had already been shot a few times and was tied up. They got into a scuffle and Coulson got the upper-hand because Ward was weak. 

I remember yelling at Coulson to leave him behind, that the portal was closing and we needed to get the hell out of there. But, Coulson wouldn’t listen. He loomed over Ward and pressed that robotic hand of his against his chest and crushed it. He didn’t even give Ward a chance. I-I know that Ward was a bad guy, but… But, I don’t think that someone deserves to die that way, you know?” He looked up at Daisy, sadness in his eyes, “Daisy, Coulson’s not the man he used to be. I watched him turn into a killer that day and he’s been trying to cover up what he did ever since. He’s not going to admit what he did. 

That’s why he’s so adamant about Ward being the ‘Hydra god’ because he’s refusing to admit what happened.” he continued. “And he’ll never admit that this is his fault. Whatever Ward does because of that monster is Coulson’s fault.”

Daisy swallowed again, trying to take it all in. 

“I… I think that Coulson created a monster in the end, Daisy.” Fitz stated, not waiting for her to reply. “He was so damn determined to stop Ward and he just got an even bigger monster in return.” The engineered swallowed, “If that  _ thing  _ really is Ward, we have no idea to what he is is. We’ve seen that he can open up the damn earth, we’ve seen the thing he can turn into. But what else is he capable of? And if he really hates Coulson that much, what is he willing to do for revenge?”

Daisy looked at Fitz, trying to come up with an answer. But, she wasn’t sure of what to say. She still couldn’t believe that Coulson would fall so low and kill someone like that, even if it had been Grant Ward. Coulson wasn’t the man he once was and it was obvious that he was willing to do anything it took to keep the truth a secret.

But, what was even the truth anymore? The truth was nonexistent.

“What… What do we do?” she asked in a mere whisper, looking at the photo still up on her laptop screen. 

Fitz let out a sharp breath, “We don’t say anything. At least not yet.” he answered. “Ward doesn’t seem to be targeting us quite yet. And there’s no telling to what Coulson will do if he knows that we figured him out. That we know that the monster is Ward. It sounds bad, but it’s the best that we can do right now. Unless Ward ends up catching up to us.”

Daisy swung her laptop around to show Fitz the photo, “I found this last night.” she began. “It’s from a Twitter post yesterday. Hydra invaded a small town, but didn’t do anything other than talk to a man. And you can clearly tell just who that is, right?”

Fitz felt his stomach grow cold as he studied the two subjects of the photo, “That’s Malick…” His eyes fell onto Grant, “And Ward…” He swallowed and looked back up to Daisy, “What are they?”

She shrugged, “I don’t know, but it’s definitely not a good sign.” she answered. “At all. We know that Hydra’s found Ward. It’s possible that they know of what he is now, and that’s not good. I don’t know if they’re planning something or what. But….” She shook her head, “He’s in the States. This is a small town in Tennessee. He’s close. I don’t know if he’s after us or just trying to hide.” 

“Maybe… Maybe he’s just hiding because he’s scared. You saw the video. If Ward’s the same guy, he seemed scared, like he didn’t know what was going on.” Fitz explained. “Maybe he has no clue to what’s going on and is hiding until he can figure something out.”

Daisy looked away, “That’s probably the best thought.” she stated. “But, we can’t be too careful with this. It’s still Ward. We don’t know what he could do. And we also need to be careful with Coulson. He’s honestly starting to terrify me now.” She swallowed and took a sharp breath.

“I barely even know who he is anymore.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, no Grant in this chapter, but Daisy finds out about how Grant really died and Fitz finds out about Grant being the monster that they're after. Adds a bit of drama, don't you think? What's gonna happen? Keep the comments and kudos coming!


	9. Enemy, Familiar Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grant isn't sure of what to do anymore.

(Sometime Later)

_ “I don’t understand what the hell is wrong with you?! Why would do do such a stupid fucking thing?!” _

_ Grant shrunk underneath his mother’s scalding gaze, trying not to look at the burnt patch of grass, “I… I don’t know…” _

_ Mother snarled and grabbed him by the collar, jerking him towards her, “Oh, you fucking know.” she hissed. “You don’t set fire to the grass for no reason at all. It’s too close to the house, you could’ve fucking burnt it down, you little shit.” _

_ “I got bored!” _

_ “You don’t set fire to anything just because you’re bored!” She pulled him closer, “What the hell is wrong with you? You never have any remorse, there’s that dead and cold look in your eyes; like some kind of monster. What… What are you?” _

_ The scene violently switched to a blackened field, the ground cracked opened like an egg. Grant took a step forward, feeling the hellish heat rise from the crack. A feeling of hunger, of bloodlust, churned in his stomach as he stared at the hole. The hole that he had created.  _

_ A yearning for more destruction. Oh, how he wanted to crack the entire Earth apart like this. And, perhaps, he truly had the power to do so. The power to end everything. The power to take care of all of his rage all at once.  _

_ Grant shook his head and stepped back. No, that wasn’t him. He wouldn’t want to take life like that. Never. His kills always had a reason; he never killed an innocent being. The innocent blood that was on his hand was the monster’s fault. Not his.  _

_ He continued to stare at the hole, a heaviness crawling up his arms. He looked down to see that his hands was morphing into obsidian claws. Almost like a dragon. Another feeling of bloodlust and awe swelled through him quickly. He shook his head again and stepped back once more, turning to run. But, he stopped as the ground shook beneath him.  _

_ A soft voice filled his head. Gramzy’s. _

_ “You’re a special boy, Grant.” she echoed. “You have a great power, I just hope that you use it for good and not head towards its origin. You have goodness in your heart, beat back that darkness and make it your own.” _

* * *

 

Grant jerked awake, sitting up and holding his head in his hands. Rage flashed through his chest again before he could steady himself. He couldn’t lose control here. Not now. He only had one more day in Tennessee before he needed to leave. He couldn’t cause a catastrophe just before leaving. 

He sat there for a while, staring at the blank wall opposite of him, trying to comprehend his dream. His Gramzy’s words echoed in his head. He swallowed. He had forgotten that she had told him that; he had been about 10 or so. Of course, he hadn’t thought anything about it at the time. He had been a child and these powers hadn’t shown up yet. It wouldn’t be for another 20 years. 

“She…” Grant took a sharp breath. “She knows what I am. She has to. She wouldn’t know anything about me having a power without knowing what I am. That’s my next step. I need to find her. But… But, I have to be careful because she’s in a retirement home. Heavily guarded.

Hell, I’m surprised that she lasted longer than mom or dad. Dad really went downhill before….” Grant shook his head, trying to forget that. “Mom didn’t look that old. Gramzy’s what? 90 now? She’s spunky. I think she’s still alive. I need to find her. Somehow get in so I can talk to her. She knows something. Maybe she can tell me to what I am.”

Grant slid out of the bed, scratching at his bare chest as he did so, “But, I haven’t seen her in almost 20 years. What do I say to her? What does she think about me?” he asked himself. “The last my photo was shown to the world, I was outed as a Hydra agent. By Christian. And she’s smart… She probably knows that I killed them. Even if Thomas hasn’t told her anything yet. But, I was always her favorite. I need to find a way to find her. She’s still in Massachusetts, that much I know. But I can’t remember the retirement home she’s in.”

He took a sharp breath and sat down on the edge of the bed, staring down at his hands. His dream flashed through his mind, seeing his hands morph into those obsidian stone claws. Mixed emotions brewed in his chest. On one hand, he wanted to tap into that power, to see what that monster could really do. But, on the other, he didn’t want more death. That monster had only been out twice and it had already killed far too many innocents. He was conflicted. There was both war and peace inside of him. A human and a devil. Two sides fighting for control and he didn’t know what to do. 

Grant shook those thoughts out of his head and stood up, heading over to his duffle bag and starting to gather things up.  _ “I need to get out of here. I risked too much staying here another day. Hydra knows where I’m at and SHIELD probably isn’t too far behind.”  _ he thought.  _ “I’ll gather up what I can and pack it into the truck. I’ll have to torch this place. Luckily, it’s in a clearing. So, there’s minimal risk of me burning the woods down.” _

He headed into the bathroom, throwing his bag aside for a moment. He needed to clean up first; he didn’t know when his next shower would be. 

_ “Look, at me. I’ve changed.”  _ Grant thought, studying his shirtless frame in the mirror.  _ “I’ve gained muscle. I’ve grown a couple of inches.”  _ He touched the sharp tips of his ears,  _ “Will I keep changing? Is there more to me than this? Is that monster what I’m really supposed to be? How much longer until I’m no longer myself?” _

A growl suddenly ripped from Grant’s lips and he swung his fist into the mirror, shattering it on impact and cutting up his arm. “I’m going to kill Coulson.” he hissed. “This is all his fault. He’ll pay for it. And I’ll find a way to give him what he really deserves. Not a quick and clean death. Agony. That’s what he deserves.”

Grant blinked and stumbled away from the mirror, the cuts on his arm closing up. “No… That’s not…. I don’t want that!” he screamed, his voice morphing into another growl as tears stung his eyes. His arms felt heavy and his mouth felt strange. It also felt as though something was starting to crawl its way out of his chest. 

No, he couldn’t have that happen here. He couldn’t freak out so easily. He couldn’t let that thing control him at all.

He looked up to the shattered mirror, his eyes widening as he saw his distorted reflection. His ears were long and jutted out the sides of his head by several inches. The obsidian had replaced his hands and forearms, the polished rock ending in sharp points at his elbows. His eyes were blood-red, his pupils slits. He reached out and touched his forehead, seeing that sharp points were coming out. And when he moved his lips, he could see a mouth full of razor-sharp fangs. 

_ “What… What the hell am I?” _

He swallowed, feeling his panic settle back in. He sunk to the floor, pulling his knees to his chest as his appearance started to return to normal. Something in his mind was about to break. 

Was  _ this  _ why his parents hated him so? Was  _ this  _ to why he had been treated like the black sheep of the family? Had his parents known of what he was? He already figured that his grandmother knew. But, this took things to a new level. Maybe he had never been human. Maybe this is why he had always been so fucked up. Things never did seem right to him. 

He brought his head to his knees, tears starting to sting in his eyes once again as he felt a panic attack starting to come on. “I don’t know what to do.” he muttered. “I don’t know what I am. I don’t know  _ who  _ I am.” The tears started to stream down his cheeks. “I’m some kind of monster with powers I don’t understand. I was supposed to die, but here I am. What the hell am I supposed to be?” 

He looked up to the ceiling, that war and peace starting to fight with one another again as the tears dripped to the bathroom floor, mixing with the broken glass. One side of him wanted to run. Hide until he actually died. But that other side wanted to rip the whole world apart until he was the only one left standing. He didn’t know to what he really wanted. Did he really want revenge against Coulson? Or did he just want to hide until nothing else could be done?

He really wasn’t sure. Not anymore.

But, he knew that some comfort laid in the solace of his Gramzy, knowing that she had some kind of answer to who he was. 

And that’s where he would start. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, a solely Grant chapter this time. And a good bit, too. Does Gramzy really know of what Grant is, or was that just his head playing with him? Any guesses to what's coming? Keep the comments and kudos coming!


	10. I Heard the Devil Speak

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grant finds out the truth.

(A Couple of Days Later)

Daisy looked up as the facial recognition software on her laptop dinged. She ran over to it as Fitz frowned. 

“Daisy? What’s that?”

“I set it up to watch for any signs of Ward.” she replied, placing the computer in her lap. “The ding means that it found him. Or someone that just happens to look like him.” She typed in a few things and pulled up a slightly blurry photo. She swallowed, seeing that it was indeed Grant. He wasn’t looking directly at the security camera, but Daisy still had a clear shot of him. He had his full beard again and was wearing another hoodie. 

“So?” Fitz suddenly appeared behind her. “Is it him?”

“Yeah. It is.” she typed in a few more things to pull up the location of the ping. “He’s in Massachusetts. Salem.”

Fitz blinked, “Why would he be in Salem?”

“Isn’t he from Massachusetts?” Daisy questioned. “But I thought that he hated it, so why would he be back?” She took a sharp breath and typed in a few more commands, “What’s in Salem that would be important to him?”

“Family? But, his parents and older brother are dead. And his other brother absolutely hates him.” Fitz began. “And he’s really never said about anyone else. So?”

Daisy licked her lips as she searched anything relating to the Ward family. Government data showed his parents and Christian as deceased. His sister was now in New York and Thomas was in Boston. The only one left was…

“Bingo.”

“Huh?”

Daisy pointed at the screen, “There. His maternal grandmother. One Adaline Slade. Must be the Gramzy he talked about.” she answered. “That’s who he must be there for. Ward was born in Salem. So, he has to be going back for her.”

Fitz raised an eyebrow, “So, you’re telling me that the man we think is some kind of demonic creature was literally born in Salem? You know? The Salem Witch Trials and all that?”

Daisy rolled her eyes and closed the laptop, placing it aside and standing up, “Yeah. But, that’s not important right now, Fitz. That’s where I’m heading next.” she stated. “I want to face Ward myself. I want answers. If I can’t talk to him, I’ll find his grandmother. Maybe she knows something.”

The engineer’s face blanched, “Are you really going to go after him?” he asked. “We don’t even know if it’s really him. You’ve seen what he’s capable of, do you really want to take that head on?” He shook his head, “And there’s no way that Coulson’s going to let you go to Massachusetts without getting suspicious.”

“What Coulson doesn’t know won’t hurt him.” Daisy stated. “We’re not that far from Massachusetts. I’ll drive there. Hopefully Ward will stay there long enough.”

“I’m going with you.”

“No.” she stopped and turned to look at him. “You’re already too deep in this, Fitz. You need to keep the facade up before it’s too late. I don’t want you getting hurt.”

“Look, I already know the truth. I’ve known the truth since the start.” Fitz argued. “I can’t get any deeper into this. I-”

“Fitz, just trust me. Please. Coulson will get too suspicious if the both of us leave. I can spin a story for just me. Okay?”

Fitz took a sharp breath, “Fine. Just… Just don’t get hurt, okay?” He looked at her, “You may think that you’re okay because it’s Ward, but we don’t know what he is, Daisy. He could easily kill you. Or if he turns into that thing if you run into him…”

“I’ll be fine, Fitz. I promise. Just make sure that things are okay here. Keep me updated, I don’t know how long I’ll be gone. Let me know if something happens.

I wouldn’t put it past Coulson to go batshit crazy if he figures things out.”

* * *

  
  


(Elsewhere, Sometime Later)

Grant took a sharp breath as he stood outside of the white painted door. If his info was right, Gramzy was on the other side. But, he hadn’t seen her in years. What did she look like? She was 90 for God’s sakes. It had been over 15 years since he had seen her last. He just hoped that she recognized him. 

He steadied himself and rapped on the door. His stomach grew cold as he heard an old-sounding voice on the other side call out ‘Coming!’. Even though the voice sounded slightly different, it still sounded like her. One of the only voices that ever provided him any comfort. 

The door swung open to reveal a short, skinny, white-haired, elderly woman. None other than Adaline Slade, Grant’s one and only grandmother. She frowned, looking up at him, “Yes? Can I….” she trailed off as he did his best to give her a small smile. Her eyes widened as recognition began to set in. Even though he was so much older, she could recognize that face anywhere. 

“Grant?”

He couldn’t find his words, so he just smiled again. 

Adaline quickly looked around and looked back at him, grabbing his wrist and quickly leading him into the room. She shut the door behind them. 

Grant spun to look at her, but was met with a harsh hand against his bearded cheek.

“The nerve of you! You disappear for 15 years and you’re suddenly being plastered all over the news by that brother of yours, claiming that you’re a murderer and a traitor!” she practically yelled. “And now you just suddenly show up out of nowhere! What the hell has gotten into you?!”

Grant gave her an awkward smile, “I… I can explain.”

Adaline looked up at him and placed her hands on her hips, “Well, you better have a good explanation.” she said sternly. “Because I refuse to believe that my grandson is the monster that Christian made you out to be. And now he’s dead along with my daughter!”

Grant swallowed, “Do… Do you have plenty of time?” he asked. “I don’t know where to start. I just… I just need to talk.”

She sighed and walked over to her recliner, “I’ve got all day, so I guess you can go ahead.” She motioned towards another chair for him to sit, “Go.”

He licked his lips as he went to sit down. Nodding, he looked back up at her, pain in his eyes. He started with the fire. Going from Garrett taking him in to his fight with SHIELD. He deliberately stopped before his death. He didn’t want to go there yet. There was no telling to how she would react to everything.

Adaline looked at him, her anger slowly changing into pity, “I… I was afraid that something like this would happen to you.” she began. “But with the way you were raised, how Lillian and Christian treated you. How that Garrett man treated you…. It only warped what was there into something worse. I hoped that it wouldn’t go this way, but I guess that it couldn’t be helped. It’s in your nature, I guess.”

Grant sat up, “Then you know what I am.”

She blinked, “I assume this is why you came to me. But why?” she asked. “Why now? What happened?”

Grant swallowed, “Do… Do you know what happened in Venice?” he asked. “That monster in front of the basilica?”

Adaline frowned, “What are you trying to say?”

“That… That was me.”

“Oh.”

Grant suddenly stood to his feet, “You know what I am!” he exclaimed. “Gramzy, what the hell am I?! I… I don’t know what’s going on anymore. One minute I’m human and the next I’m ripping open the earth a-and flinging fire around. I-”

“You were never human.”

It felt as though someone had punched Grant in his stomach. He blinked, fighting for words. “What?”

Adaline took a sharp breath, “You were never human. I don’t understand why it took 30 years for the truth to finally show itself. But you’ve never been human, Grant.”

He stood there, staring at her, “That’s why you would always call me special when I was little.” he stated. “You always knew.”

“I knew what you were before you were born.” Adaline answered. “I knew what Lillian was carrying around. I knew that you could be dangerous. And it seems that I was right.”

Grant swallowed, “Then what am I?”

She looked him straight in his eyes, “The son of a human mother and a demon father.”

His blood ran cold, “D-Demon father?” he stammered. “That’s not right. I look like my father. I-”

“Because it’s complicated. Yes, Richard Ward conceived you with your mother, but it wasn’t him at the same time.” she began to explain. “So you look like him and are technically his, but you two don’t share DNA.”

“Huh?”

Adaline took a sharp breath, “Your father was possessed by a demonic spirit and that spirit used him to sleep with your mother. I believe that that spirit targeted your mother for her Slade bloodline, fathering you for its permanent host or whatnot.” she explained. “But, Richard was possessed long enough for the demon to change the DNA that was being passed. So, a half-human, half-demon child was born.” She pointed at Grant, “And that’s you.”

“So, I’m… I’m half-demon.”

She nodded, “Like I said, I don’t know why it took so long for your abilities to show up. But, you’ve always shown signs. You were always stronger and faster than other kids. Much smarter, too. But… There was that rage. Otherworldly rage. You could never control yourself. The slightest thing would send you into a violent frenzy. It took everything to keep you in school. 

And I think Lilian knew that you weren’t right.” she continued. “She hated you from the moment you were born because of how you were conceived. She didn’t choose to have you, you know. So, that made things worse for you.”

Grant’s shoulders slumped and he flinched as he could hear his mother’s screams as she threw anything she could get her hands on at him. How she would call him ‘Devil’ and ‘Hellspawn’. Now… Now it all made sense. 

“I always sensed the amount of power that you had.” Adaline continued. “You’re a special child and I always hoped that you would use that power for good and wouldn’t fall to it. But…” She looked up at him, “I sense something different about you. I think… I think you can still fight it.”

Grant looked down, still trying to process everything. He wasn’t sure of what to say. Hell, what  _ could  _ he say? He had just found out that he was half-demon. 

“But, I still don’t know what took so long for that power to manifest. What happened, Grant?”

He swallowed and looked back up at her, looking her dead in the eyes. 

“I died.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Daisy's going after Grant herself and Grant finds out the dark truth about what he is. But, there's still more to come about him. And any guesses about Adaline? (Note that I'm using the Slade name here, but changing a few things up.) Keep the comments and kudos coming!


	11. The Devil's in the Next Room

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grant finds out more.

Adaline stared at Grant, “You… Died?”

Grant swallowed and nodded slowly, “I-I got myself killed.” he stammered, deciding to spare her the details. “I did something stupid and followed someone who promised me everything and I got nothing in return. I got killed for a previous stupid decision because it all came back to bite me in the ass. I remember being killed and then I suddenly woke up in the middle of nowhere, with no clothes on, and no memory of how I got there. It wasn’t until Venice when I realized what had happened.”

“So, it took death to unlock your true self.” Adaline kept staring at him, like she was looking straight into his soul. “I thought your powers would come sooner because of the power I suspected that you held. I don’t know to why it took so long. But, it caused you so much pain because of the direction that it led you. You are a demon by nature, Grant. You’ve always been that way. You’ve been attracted by rage and violence ever since you were little. Doctors thought you had issues, but I knew the truth. I always knew the truth.”

“How… How did you know?” Grant asked, looking at the ground. “How could you tell that I wasn’t human?”

“Anyone with the Slade name has a certain, should I say,  _ affinity  _ for the supernatural.” Adaline began to explain. “I’m not Slade by blood, but I’m sure that one of the reasons to why Carter found me was my ability to sense things that others can’t sense.”

Grant looked up, “Carter?”

“Your grandfather. The one you never met.” Adaline took a shallow breath. “But, that’s a story for another time right now.” She looked back at him, “I could sense your demonic blood, Grant. I could sense just how powerful you could become. I just wish I had been there to stop everything, but Lilian didn’t like me being around you much. I think she feared that I could do something to you. I’m still not sure of why. I think she was afraid of her own blood. 

She knew that the Slade blood was powered. It also gave her certain  _ gifts _ . She could see the supernatural as well, but she fought against it.” she continued, looking straight at Grant. “It caused her problems.”

Grant blinked, remembering how people thought his mother was schizophrenic or something of the sort. How everyone thought she was imagining things. How that treatment was often turned against him. He shivered, “So, that’s why people thought that she was crazy.”

Adaline nodded, “She also believed you to be the cause to why those  _ monsters  _ appeared around you and her. Even though I don’t think she ever realized that you were part-demon, she knew that you weren’t human.” she continued. “But, I feel like she was correct. You have such a strong power that it attracts lesser demons. I don’t know to why they have never done anything to one. Maybe because it’s that you’re  _ too  _ strong. Or maybe because of whoever fathered you. I-”

“‘Whoever fathered me’?” Grant asked, cutting her off. “Wait, are you saying that you have no idea to who my real father is?”

Her face fell and she gently shook her head, “I’m afraid I don’t.” she answered. “All I know is that he’s very, very powerful in order to father a being such as you.” Her mind flashed to the images of the monster in Venice. “And that’s what scares me. The Slade bloodline has been targeted for a very long time because of our blood and supernatural abilities. Beings such as Zartharos and Mephisto have targeted us. But I believe it’s someone much stronger than them, I’m afraid.”

Grant blinked, having no idea of what she was talking about. But, it scared him. Scared him straight to his bones. He suddenly stood to his feet, feeling very sick to his stomach. Everything started rushing around him and he suddenly couldn’t remember to where he was.

Adaline’s blood ran cold as she felt a spike in Grant’s demonic power. She quickly stood to her feet, hurrying over to him the best she could knowing that he was freaking out. She had unloaded a lot onto him and she knew that she was having trouble processing it all. He always had trouble processing and controlling his emotions. 

“Grant.” she called out, reaching up to place her hands on his broad shoulders. “It’s okay. It’s just us. I know that it’s a lot, but I don’t want you freaking out. Not here.” She thought of the incident in Venice. “Please.”

Grant’s face fell and he blinked several times. He looked down and realized that Adaline was still here. He was still in his Gramzy’s apartment. But, everything suddenly felt way too small for him. Suffocating, almost. He couldn’t let that  _ thing  _ come out here. Too many people would die. Far too many people

“I... “ He trailed off. He needed to get the hell out of here. He couldn’t risk hurting the only family he had left. “I-I’m sorry.” he stammered, pushing past her. “I can’t stay here. I just….”  A sudden, wicked smile plastered itself onto his face, “No, I’ll make him  _ pay. _ ” he hissed. “It’s all his fault. This would never be happening if he had of kept his shitty hand off of me.” He blinked and frowned, “No, that’s not right. I wouldn’t…. I can’t… No….”

He shook his head and he was gone as fast as he had come.

A sort of uneasiness settled deep within Adaline’s stomach as she stared at the door. The way Grant’s power had suddenly spiked terrified her. It was way more power than she had ever felt. And the way his emotions had snapped back and forth. Just what was her grandson capable of?

“Oh, Grant. I fear you’re becoming the very monster you fear you are.”

* * *

 

(Elsewhere)

Grant looked around in paranoia as he reached his motel room. He hated to leave Gramzy so suddenly like that, but he suddenly found that he couldn’t control what he was thinking. He didn’t want to put her in harm’s way like that. There was just far too much on his mind and not enough time to deal with it.

He knew that he probably should move somewhere else just to be safe, but, truly, he felt so damned drained that he knew he would pass out as soon as his body met the bed. Adaline had dumped a hell of a lot on him and he was having a lot of trouble processing it all. 

He slipped into the dark room, leaving the lights off as he closed the door behind him. Running his hands through his hair, he began to recall all that Adaline had told him.

One, he was the product of a demon possessing his human father and that demon forcing itself onto his mother. But, because of the the possession, he shared DNA with the demon instead of who he had thought was his father. Making him a half-demon in the process. 

Two, he came from a long line of people with supernatural powers. The very reason to why his mother was targeted for his birth. 

Three, no one had any idea of who his real father was. But was feared that he was extremely powerful, which made Grant fear the worse. Hell, at this point he wouldn’t be surprised that his father was the Devil or something. Nothing would surprise him now. 

_ “I just… I just don’t know what to do.”  _ he thought, staring into the darkness.  _ “I still don’t know to who the hell I could be. Gramzy left me with way more questions than answers and I couldn’t stay there. I didn’t want to end up hurting her. That’s… That’s the last thing I need to do. She’s the only proper family I have left since Thomas hates me and I don’t know to where Rose is.  _

_ But… I’m a monster through and through.”  _ his thoughts continued.  _ “I don’t know what to do anymore. I should’ve just stayed dead. Why can’t I stay fucking dead? Coulson fucked everything up for me. This wouldn’t be happening if I had of never died.”  _ Something twitched in his face,  _ “I wanna show him what he’s done. I want to…” _

His thoughts trailed off as something rustled behind him. A flame flared to life in his hand for a source of light since he couldn’t reach the lamp. He must’ve been too caught up in his thoughts to sense that someone was here. His face fell as he saw the form sitting on his bed, her eyes widening at the sight of the flame burning in his hand. 

“Well, I guess I was right about my suspicions then.”

Grant’s mouth went dry as he stared at her, the flame still burning in his hand, trying to process how she had found him.

“ _ Skye? _ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Daisy's found him! And to note, it's been a couple of days since she decided to find him. Grant didn't seek out Adaline right away after getting into Salem. But, what will happen now that she's here? Any guesses? Keep the comments and kudos coming!


	12. What's A Life Worth in the End?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grant and Daisy talk.

Grant’s eyes went wide and he stepped backward, shaking his head over and over. The flame in his hand went out as Daisy reached over to turn on the sidetable lamp. “No.” he stated, fear in his voice. “Y-You shouldn’t be here.” He looked towards the door, “I need to go, I can’t let him-”

“Coulson’s not here.”

Grant froze up, “Huh?”

Daisy stood up and faced him firmly, “Coulson has no idea that I’m here.” she began to explain. “Fitz is the only one that knows that I’m here and I intend on keeping it that way for as long as I can. Until I can figure out what the hell is going on.”

Thoughts raced in Grant’s head, trying to figure out why she was here. “W-What are you doing here?” he stammered, something beginning to claw at his chest. “You shouldn’t be here. Why are you here?”

“To find out the truth. Coulson’s been lying to us.” Daisy answered, looking straight at him and frowning as she was something dancing deep within his tormented eyes. “Fitz told me what happened back on that planet. Coulson threatened Fitz into silence. Now, I want to hear your side of the story.”

Grant’s face fell and anger suddenly flared in his eyes. “So, what the hell is Coulson telling you?” he asked angrily. “You tell me what the fuck is going on with him before I tell you a single damn thing.”

Daisy narrowed her eyes even though she knew that Grant was going to be difficult about things, “When Coulson came out of that portal, he claimed that the ‘Hydra god’ killed you.” she began, not wasting any time. “Then that hellish monster came crawling out of the earth and confronted him. Saying something about how it was Coulson’s fault that it happened. Was  _ very  _ hateful towards him. Then you show up not too much later in Venice on a grainy video transforming into said monster. Not a coincidence at all, I think. Then, you’re spotted with Malick in Tennessee. But, Coulson’s fucking adamant that we’re after the ‘Hydra god’ and wants the ‘Hydra god’ dead. Even though I  _ know  _ that he knows the truth. 

He know who we’re after, he’s just too damn afraid to tell the truth.” she continued. “He’s leading us on a practical suicide mission without telling us a damn thing. I just want to know the whole truth. Even your side.”

Anger flared in Grant’s eyes and a wicked-looking smile stretched across his face as he forcefully pulled the motel desk chair over to him and plopped down, “Of fucking course he’s lying.” he stated with a grim laugh. “It’s Coulson. There’s no hero in him at all anymore. He’ll do whatever the hell it takes to make himself  _ seem  _ like the good guy, even if that means stooping so low that he starts lying and killing on his own. Do you want to know what  _ really  _ happened that day?”

Daisy blinked and nodded slightly, not saying anything in response. 

“Malick wanted Fitz on that mission. My memory’s foggy, so I can’t exactly remember to  _ why _ , but he wanted him there for some reason or another. I took it upon myself to make sure that he got back safely. I didn’t want-”

“Safely?!” Daisy snapped, cutting him off. “You fucking tortured Simmons. You had already hurt Fitz, you-”

Grant’s eyes melted into a blood red color as he snarled, cutting her right off as fear seeped into her own eyes. “I did enough to ensure that Fitz would come.” he hissed. “I did nothing permanent. I made sure of that. Just enough to make her scream. And why the hell should I care about her anyways? She tried to kill me. But, that’s not the point, though. This isn’t what we’re talking about, Skye. We’re talking about Coulson, not me.

But, I was making sure that Fitz got out of there  _ alive. _ ” he continued, staring straight at her. “Coulson came out of nowhere, only concerned with going after me and not rescuing Fitz. He shot me twice and had me tied up. And when I tried to fight back, to run away, he knocked me down. He could’ve left me alone, left me there on the ground to ensure that Fitz got out of there. But, no. He fucking risked Fitz’s life to kill me.”

His devilish smile grew, “And the funny thing is that I  _ remember  _ dying. The way how that fucking metal hand of his crushed my chest and destroyed my heart. He wasn’t there to save Fitz. He was only there to kill me. And he was more than willing to sacrifice Fitz to ensure that I died.” He spread his hands out in front of him, “And look where that got us.”

Daisy swallowed, “And now he’s lying and trying his damndest to cover it up before the truth comes out.” she stated matter of factly. “That’s what’s going on.”

“Coulson’s not the hero he used to be, Skye.” Grant almost purred. “His self-righteous, lying ass is nothing more than a monster. He always wants to be right and look where that’s gotten us. Where it’s gotten  _ me _ .” His voice turned into a practical growl. “Venice? The fact that Hydra’s after me thinking that I’m their literal god? That’s Coulson’s fault. I wouldn’t be this way if he just had of kept his damn hands off of me. I would be alright if I hadn’t of died.”

Daisy shook her head, trying to ignore that he had called her Skye. Wait. She paused. He  _ didn’t know  _ that her real name was Daisy. He had never gotten the chance to find that out. But, she didn’t feel like dealing with that now. And, truly, it did feel kind of nice hearing him say it. 

“You’re pinning all of this on him, but someone just doesn’t die and become some kind of monster.” she stated coldly. “Part of it has to be you.” 

Grant grimaced and looked away from her, Gramzy’s words still echoing in his head. “I’m still working on that.” he hissed. “It’s none of your business. At all.”

Daisy took a step towards him, “But I do want to know what’s going on before it’s too late. Coulson  _ is  _ after you.” she began. “I want to know what I’m dealing with.” She looked around the room before looking back at him, “You’re here because you went to see your grandmother, didn’t you?”

His face fell, “How do you know about that?”

“It took you a few days to actually go and see her. A camera picked you up and I was able to track you down. I figured that the reason to why you were back in Salem was because one Adaline Slade lives here. Your beloved Gramzy.” She took a breath, “And by the way you felt so scared when you came in, she told you what you wanted to know.”

He blanched and looked away, his anger fading to pure fear, “I… I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Grant, I just want to know what the hell is going on before Coulson can.” she stated softly. “Before Coulson can make it worse.”

Grant looked up at the mention of his first name, which he wasn’t used to. Something was telling him to trust her, to completely open to her. And, honestly, he kind of wanted to. 

He took a sharp breath and drug a hand over his bearded face. “She… She said that I’ve always been like this.” he began. “That she always knew that I had a special power, but doesn’t know to why it took this long to show up. That… That I’ve never been human. Well, only half-human.”

Daisy looked right at him, “Then… Then what are you?”

“Half-demon.”

Daisy’s face fell, even though it did make things sense. So, the monster really was a demon. And if Grant had been half-demon all along, it really explained why he was the way he was. “But, uh, how?”

“The Slade bloodline is a long line of people who have supernatural abilities. Demons and other monsters have targeted them for centuries because of so. My grandfather found my grandmother because she could see the supernatural and sense things no one else could, like my mother could. That’s why she always knew of what I was and what I was capable of. 

But… She said that an unknown and very powerful demon possesed my human father.” he continued. “And that demon used him and forced itself onto my mother, conceiving me for reasons unknown. And due to the possession, my paternal DNA belongs to that demon and not who I thought was my father. And… And it caused all of this. It just took Coulson killing me to drag it out. It’s still his fucking fault that this happened. I want him to  _ pay. _ ” he hissed. “I want him to suffer the same way that I’m suffering. I could’ve lived my entire life without that monster showing up. But he had to go and ruin things. I want him dead. I….”

He trailed off and shook his head. He looked back up at Daisy, “Wait… What was I talking about?” he asked, that rage fading away as fast at it had come. He was acting like it hadn’t even been him talking. Like it had been something else.

Daisy swallowed, trying to comprehend the implications of all of this. Was that monster that was hiding underneath his skin like another part of him, almost another personality. Like a Hulk-type of situation. That was honestly the best explanation she could put to the situation. But, she didn’t know to if she should be scared of him or if she should try to help him. 

He blinked and shook his head again, burying it in his hands, “Skye.” he began in a very small and scared voice. “I-I don’t know what to do anymore. I don’t know to who I am. I just don’t know. I want to be left alone. Coulson wants me dead and Hydra wants to worship me as their god. I can’t do this anymore and I’m not even sure if I can still die. I’ve already died once and this happened as a result.”

He looked up at her with tears shining in his whiskey-brown eyes, the hellish red long faded. 

“Please help me, Skye. I don’t know what to do anymore.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, it's clear that Grant's losing it and doesn't know what to do anymore. Now it's just a matter if Daisy wants to help him or not. Or if Grant wants to take things into his own hands and goes for Coulson's throat? Any guesses of what will happen? Keep the comments and kudos coming!


	13. I Have Seen Where It Grows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grant and Daisy talk some more.

Daisy swallowed as she watched Grant’s anger fade into pure misery. “I don’t…” she took a breath. “I don’t know how to help you, Ward. Especially when I have no damn idea of what’s going on with you.”

“Can… Can you do something to keep Coulson away from me?” he asked. “I just… I just need some time to myself without anyone coming after me. Especially Coulson.” 

Daisy’s face fell, “I thought you wanted to go after Coulson.” she stated. Not a question. “You’re blaming him for what happened. I-”

Rage briefly flashed through Grant’s eyes, causing Daisy to shut her mouth, but it quickly faded and he shook his head, “I… I don’t know what I want. I want him to  _ pay _ , but I just want to be left alone. I-I need time to control  _ it.  _ I can’t keep running. I managed to make a deal with Malick to keep Hydra off of my back, but I imagine that Coulson will be worse.”

Something flashed across Daisy’s face that Grant couldn’t quite read, “You… You made a deal with Malick?” she asked, fear seeping into her voice. “What the hell?”

Grant swallowed, a slight smile pulling at his lips, “They seriously think me to be their god, it’s a easy role to play.” he began to explain. “That blind loyalty from them can be easily exploited; don’t worry, I’ve learned the hard way. I told him that I would help Hydra as long as they left me alone for awhile and kept Coulson off of my back. He agreed and I haven’t seen him since.”

“So you have Hydra hunting us.”

Grant shook his head, “No, not hunting. I don’t even think Malick would know where to begin to look for SHIELD. Hydra’s falling apart. Their last hope is a false god. One that I’m pretending to be. They’re placing every last bit of hope they have left on a devil.” His smile returned, “I can ensure that their blind faith will be their downfall.”

“So, you’re planning to take both Hydra  _ and  _ SHIELD down?” Daisy asked, raising an eyebrow.

“My fight isn’t with SHIELD, it’s with Coulson. Him and Hydra both are both at fault for what happened to me. The world will be a better place without them.” Grant explained, his anger fading back into that pure misery. “That way, I can finally live in peace. I won’t have anyone after my neck.”

“Ward, don’t you realize that there’s  _ always  _ going to be someone after you with all that you’ve done?” Daisy questioned. “Who says that the military won’t be next? Hell, I think Coulson was wanting to get Talbot’s help with taking you down.”

Grant took a sharp breath and stood to his feet, taking a step towards her, “There’s a difference between the military and Coulson, Skye.” he stated. “Coulson believes that he’s right no matter what, that he’s the hero no matter what he does. And he’ll do whatever it takes to cover up his mistakes. You see how determined he is with making sure that no one figures out the truth about what happened to me. I wouldn’t be surprised if he ended up sacrificing one of you to ensure that he stays in the right, even though he’s so far in the wrong.”

“I don’t think-”

Grant took another step towards Daisy, cutting her off. “Tell me, Skye. Who do you think is the real monster here?” he asked. “The literal demon doing whatever it takes to survive or the human man doing whatever it takes to hide his mistakes and ensure that he’s the hero no matter what, even if he’s in the wrong? There has to be line that is drawn and I don’t think that I’m on the wrong side here. I’m just looking to survive. Coulson’s looking to keep up his self-righteous image. There’s a difference.”

He shook his head and shoved his hands into his pocket, “What’s that quote? Oh, yeah. ‘ _ He who fights monsters should look to it that he himself doesn’t become a monster.... When you gaze long into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you. _ ’.” Grant smirked, “ Friedrich Nietzsche. Perfectly describes Coulson. He’s fought monsters for so damn long that he’s become the monster himself. And I think he knows it, he just refuses to acknowledge it and tries so hard to cover it up to put on that hero persona he so desperately wants to hide behind. And he’s willing to do whatever it takes to do so.

There’s a difference between a monster by blood and a monster by action.” he continued. “And Coulson’s the latter, which is a lot worse.”

Daisy blinked, “Isn’t that pot calling the kettle black?”

“Well, I’ve already died for what I’ve done, Skye.” Grant answered. “I’ve got my penance. I’m paying for my sins. I’ve acknowledge who I had been. Coulson hasn’t and he isn’t going to do so anytime soon unless someone forces him.” 

_ “He’s not making any sense here.”  _ Daisy thought, still staring at him.  _ “Does he want revenge for what happened to him or not? One minute he’s spouting that he wants Coulson to pay, but then the next he’s wanting to be left alone. He’s all over the place. Is that a result of what he’s going through? And there’s the fact that he momentarily forgot what he had been talking about earlier. I think whatever he is… I think it’s controlling him. Like the demonic form of Bruce Banner. I just… I just don’t know what to make of it.” _

Daisy took a breath, “So, what is it that you really want?” she asked, knowing that she wouldn’t get a proper answer from him. “Do you want to get back at Coulson or do you just want to run and hide?”

Grant’s face fell and he suddenly seemed confused again, “I… I don’t know.” His shoulders slumped, like he was holding the weight of the world upon them. Or the weight of hell. He looked her straight in the eyes, “I don’t know what I’m capable of, Skye. I don’t want Venice happening again and I’m afraid that Coulson will make it happen again, even if he doesn’t mean to. He can’t keep blindly coming after me, risking everything to cover up his mistake. 

What is he going to do if one of you ends up getting hurt? Or if he goes too far and that  _ monster  _ decides to take control?” he asked. “What is he going to do if it ends up taking innocent lives? That’s not going to be on me, that’s all going to be on him. What I’ve done is in the past; I’ve already paid for my mistakes.” He swallowed and ran a hand over his beard, “I want this all to stop. I’m tired of fighting. I’m tired of alway running for my life. But my life always somehow finds to go further down the shitter than it already is. I don’t even know to what the hell I’m supposed to be doing anymore. 

My life is just a constant struggle for control over my own body.” he continued. “It’s hard to keep it down. I think that monster is what I’m really supposed to be. But, I don’t want to be it. I want to keep the little bit of humanity I have left. I’m tired of the fighting. I’m tired of the killing. I just want some damn peace for once and Coulson’s not going to let me have just that. He’ll stop at nothing to ensure that I’m firmly six feet under.” 

Daisy looked away from him, not sure of what to say. But, what  _ could  _ she say? A part of her wanted to help him, to ensure that Coulson’s mad tirade would be stopped, but why should she help Grant Ward of all people? After everything that he had done to them? On one hand, that man had died. Whoever Grant was now wasn’t the man he had been. Honestly, she was split on what she should do. But, could she allow Coulson to go so far that he risked his own team? He had already unleashed a monster, but Daisy feared that he could do much worse.

“I don’t know how to stop Coulson.” she stated, looking back at him. “He doesn’t even know that I’m here. He’s threatened Fitz into silence. I don’t know what he would do if he knew that I know everything. But, it sounds like he’s going to be a worse threat than Hydra at this point, considering it looks like you have Hydra temporarily dealt with.”

“I just need the  _ truth _ to come out, Skye.” Grant stated. “Expose him. I know that the others won’t care that it’s me, but it’s the fact that he’s been lying. That he’s been covering his own ass just because he’s too afraid to admit the truth.”

“And who’s to say that doing something like that won’t give him even more fuel to come after you?”

Grant’s lips pulled into that charmingly menacing smile once more, chilling Daisy to the bone, “Then I’ll deal with him myself.” he answered. “I have things to deal with on my end. I don’t have time to deal with his ass. If you can expose him for me…. That’s all I’m asking. I know that it’s risky, but it’s better than him blindly risking everyone.”

Daisy swallowed, “Do you really want the others to know that you’re alive?”

“I don’t care. At least they will know the  _ truth  _ about what happened.” Grant’s smile fell. “That’s all that matters at this point. Because if they don’t know the truth and Coulson keeps this up, someone will get hurt. Whether that is someone in SHIELD or a whole bunch of innocent lives. I just… I just don’t want anyone getting hurt because of me... “ He took a sharp breath, that misery returning in his eyes. “I… I should’ve stayed dead, Skye. And none of this would be happening. I wouldn’t be a monster. I-I wouldn’t be suffering like this. I just… I just want this all stopped before it’s too late. 

I don’t know what I’m really capable of. And I’m afraid for what would happen if Coulson takes it too far.”

“I don’t think he would-”

“Skye, trust me. He would.”

Daisy swallowed again and nodded, “Fine. I’ll talk to Fitz again, maybe get someone else on our side before we confront Coulson.” she stated. “But, I’m not promising that it’ll stop him. If he’s really so dead set on killing you again, he’s not going to stop just because we say something. He’ll keep going until he’s physically stopped.

Something flashed in Grant’s eyes once more and he grimaced as something burned in his chest. That heavy feeling of the monster’s claws slowly reforming its way around his heart. He knew that Coulson needed to be stopped before it was too late.

“Then let him come. I’ll deal with him personally.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, now it's starting to get darker. Much darker. It's just a matter of whether or not Coulson's path of vengeance can be stopped before it's too late. Any ideas of what will happen? Keep the comments and kudos coming!


	14. When the Devil Come

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daisy explains what she found to Fitz.

(The Next Day)

Daisy had wasted no time at leaving the motel and Grant behind after his emotional tirade had caused him to crash. Honesty, she wasn’t sure of how to feel. She knew that Coulson needed to be stopped before he could do something that ended up being too far. But how much of it was on Grant?

He  _ was  _ something they didn’t understand at all. What he had told her only left her with more questions than answers. Yes, it was possible that it was Coulson’s fault because it all came from him killing Grant, but Grant was  _ born  _ this way. So, to her, Coulson was only the accelerant for something that was already inevitable. And Grant’s unnatural, nonhuman rage was only making the situation much worse. But, Daisy did agree that Coulson was going way too far.

Coulson had been lying to them. Yes, it was Grant who he had killed, but it was still the fact that he had lied to them and were forcing them to go after a non existent god all just to cover it up. Daisy knew that they somehow needed to reveal Coulson’s crimes to the others and stop him before it was too late. 

Grant had only shown a miniscule amount of his true power back in Venice and he had cracked the Earth open to reveal the hell below. So, what could happen if Coulson went way too far and unleashed all of Grant’s demonic rage? Perhaps there was a possibility that he could crack apart the whole world. Daisy shuddered at the thought. 

Just who was Grant’s true father?

Daisy had arrived back at the base sometime later the next day, trying her best to avoid Coulson at all costs. She needed to speak with Fitz to tell him what she had learned about Grant, then they would work on getting help. They would have to start small, hoping that maybe Mack and Elena would be on board. Morse and Hunter were probably out of the question right now, considering that Grant had tortured Morse. Simmons was out of way out of the question as well. May was too close to Coulson for them to tell her just yet. They needed to hold off with May.

Luckily, Daisy found Fitz all alone once more. The engineer looked up as she came into the lab, “Daisy, you’re back.” he stated, standing to his feet. “Did… Did you find him?”

Daisy nodded, looking around once more to ensure that they were alone. “Let’s take this back to my room.” she stated. “We’re still walking a thin line here.”

Fitz nodded in response, looking around before he followed her to her room. He turned to look at her as Daisy closed and locked the door, “What did you find out?”

“It’s… It’s a lot, to be honest. I did talk to him and it’s him. It’s just not the same Grant Ward we knew.”

Fitz raised an eyebrow, “Did we even ever know who the real Grant Ward was?” he questioned. “Who we knew him to be was far from his true self.”

Daisy shrugged, “I don’t even think he knows to who he is at this point.” she stated. “He’s confused; he had just come back from his grandmother. Who had apparently told him  _ everything. _ ”

“So, what is he?”

“A half-devil. He’s part demon. So that monster really is a demon like we thought and has nothing to do with the Hydra god.” Daisy began to explain, looking straight at Fitz. “According to his grandmother, his biological father was possessed at the time of his conception. The possession mutated the paternal DNA being passed to the extent that Ward inherited the demon’s abilities and that said demon is his actual father. The only thing that marks him as a Ward is his looks, I’m assuming. And there’s no telling to what he’s fully capable of. 

Apparently, he comes from a long line of people with supernatural abilities and demons have always targeted them because of that.” she continued. “And they finally got to them via Ward. I don’t know. But… But, Ward’s very confused. I think that  _ power  _ of his has him split into two or something. He was so back and forth. One moment he was wanting to kill Coulson for killing him and the next he was just wanting to be left alone.” Daisy went on to explain what Grant had said about him fooling Hydra and how he wanted her to keep Coulson away.

Fitz blinked, trying to take it all in, “So, Coulson knew all along that the monster really just was Ward after all.” he stated. “Great.”

“Fitz, I don’t know what’s going to happen if Coulson keeps this up. Ward caused the fucking ground to crack apart in a mini rage and I fear that was nowhere near his true power. There’s no telling to what would happen if Coulson goes too far and pushes Ward over the edge. We can’t let this happen. We need support.”

Fitz swallowed, “Mack is probably our next best bet. May’s too close to Coulson still and I still wouldn’t dare ask Simmons.” he stated. “We need to start small.”

“Fitz, I fear we don’t have much time. Coulson’s been talking about getting Talbot’s help. We don’t need the military going after Ward.” Daisy protested. “That’ll just make things worse. Coulson will just end up creating an abomination if he keeps up like the way he is.”

“Who’s to say that Coulson hasn’t already succeeded in doing so?” Fitz asked, looking towards the floor. “Coulson’s on an unstoppable path and has already unleashed Ward’s wrath. A demonic wrath. I don’t think there is no coming back from this.

I think it’s only a matter of time before Ward blows and becomes what Coulson truly thinks him to be.”

* * *

 

(Elsewhere)

_ “Isn’t this what you wanted, Ward?! You always wanted power and I gave you just that!” _

_ Grant took a step back and shook his head, “No… This isn’t want I wanted. I didn’t want to be turned into a fucking monster!” he screamed. “This is all your fault!” _

_ “How is it my fault when it was already there?” Coulson’s dead gaze drilled into him. Those black, lifeless eyes staring right through him. “You were always like this, Ward. I only helped you realize who you really were. I helped you realize just how much of a monster you really were.” _

_ “The only monster I see here is you.” _

_ Coulson smiled, revealing wickedly-sharp teeth, “You see in others what you see in yourself.” he stated. “The abyss is staring right back at you.” _

_ “I don’t… I….” _

_ “Take a good look at yourself, Grant. See yourself for what you truly are.” _

_ Coulson’s form suddenly shimmered, momentarily forming into Grant’s own form before settling on the form of the monster. Even though Grant had fear setting in, he took a moment to take in the sight of the monster. From its obsidian-black, dragon-like skin, to the cracks that glowed with a hellish light, to the massive, bat-like wings, to the massive horns that curled over its head.  _

_ A part of Grant was thrilled to see just what he could be, but the other part was terrified. That part wanted to run away and never look back. “That’s not w-who I am.” he stammered. “I’m still me.” _

_ “This  _ is  _ you. It always has been. You just refuse to accept it. This is your reality. This is your true self, even if you accept it or not. It’ll always be there, even if you try to run and hide from it.” _

_ “I don’t….” _

_ “I should’ve guessed that it would take so much for you to accept who you are. I just wish that it wasn’t this hard.” _

_ The reflection of the monster vanished and Grant spun around to see a tall, black-haired man striding towards him. The funny thing was that no matter how hard Grant tried to focus on the man’s face, he couldn’t make it out. Like it was always changing, never settling on one face. A man of multiple faces, if you will. _

_ Grant’s stomach dropped, “Who are you?” he asked.  _

_ The man stopped and waved his hand dismissively, “My name is not of importance to you right now.” he stated. “But, that’ll come in time.” He studied Grant for a few, long seconds, “Even though you refuse to fully accept your power, I’m still highly pleased with how you turned out. I guess I can attribute that to your rough upbringing and the rest of your life. But still, I am pleased.” _

_ Grant’s lips curled into a snarl, “I’ll say it again.” he growled. “Who the hell are you?” _

_ The man smiled to reveal sharp fangs, the only discernible thing on his ever-shifting face, “Why, Grant, I’m your father. _

_ Your true father.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I know that the part with Grant was short, but it was meant to be a cliffhanger. But, his demonic father is now in the picture. How will that go? Any guesses? Keep the comments and kudos coming!


	15. I Am the Eater of Worlds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grant learns to who he really is.

_ Grant swallowed, staring at the man, no, the demon. He shook his head and let out a laugh like sound, “Why now?” _

_ The demon tilted his head, “What do you mean?” _

_ “I mean, why now? I’m what? 33 years old and you now just decide to show up in my life?” _

_ “Well, you only recently discovered to what you really are, I wasn’t going to barge into your life before then.” he paused and frowned. “I didn’t expect it to take three decades for your true self to awaken. Seems that I underestimated the circumstances it took to awaken your powers.” _

_ “Yeah, I fucking died!” Grant screamed. “I had the life crushed out of me like it was nothing! Now I have innocent blood on my hands because I can’t control what I am!” _

_ The demon chuckled, “That’s because you haven’t accepted what you are. That’s the first step in controlling it.” he stated. “The more you fight against it, the more it’ll fight against you. You have to accept who you are now, Grant.” _

_ “And what if I don’t want to?” _

_ “Then it’ll only cause more problems for you.” The demon took a sharp breath, “I never intended for you to be like this. I planned on your powers coming to life a long time ago, but it took far too long. You were supposed to be the ultimate vessel, but you failed me there.” _

_ Grant’s face fell, “Vessel?” He felt sick to his stomach.  _

_ “What you see of me now is just a part of my spiritual form. In order to take a physical form, I must have a host. But, due to my power, most hosts start to crumble away in a matter of minutes. I needed something that was mine. I’ve been after the Slade bloodline for so damn long, trying to find at least one Slade to corrupt. Because they were powerful enough to hold me, but it was all in vain.  _

_ So, I found your mother and took the opportunity to possess that shithead of a husband of hers.” he continued. “In order to create you. But…. The power I gave you was just a bit too much in the end. And I cannot possess you because your powers, your spirit, fights back. You are far more powerful than I ever imagined. You are more of your own being than I intended. But you have a new purpose now.” _

_ Grant felt sick to his stomach, “So, I was born to be nothing more than a fucking puppet?” he asked, his voice trembling and ignoring the last part that the demon had said. “No other purpose other than being a fucking meatsuit to a demon that won’t even tell me his name?” His voice cracked and morphed into that of a harsh growl, “I’ve suffered all of my life because of this!” he screamed. “I was beaten every single damn day by my insane mother!” _

_ The demon smiled, “And you want to know why?” he asked, not waiting for Grant to give him an answer. “Because you almost killed her when you were born. You were far too much for her body to handle and it almost destroyed her. And you know that she was always sick and frail, that was because of you. And she hated you for it. She knew just what you were but had no idea of how to get rid of you. So that fear and that hatred translated into that violence.  _

_ But, that violence did well for you.” he continued. “I believe that’s why you are so powerful. You lived in darkness so long that it allowed your demonic self to fester and grow. Now you have power equal to that of a demon god.” The demon smiled, “And you were always drawn to violence, to try and prove yourself. Ever since childhood. Remember that boy?” _

_ Grant swallowed, trying to fight back bile. An image of a beaten and bruised boy lying beneath him flashed across his vision. The screams of terrified teachers rang in his ears. He remembered that day. A bully had teased him to his breaking point and he had beaten said bully within inches of his life. All at age 5. He wasn’t allowed to return to that school afterwards.  _

_ The demon’s smile grew, “It seems that you remember.” he stated. “And you were always easily manipulated because of your yearning for violence. That man Garrett. Malick. Those are the types of men worthy of demons themselves and they knew just how to twist you. I don’t think they ever knew of what you were, but it still worked to their advantage. Some demons show loyalty to those they deem above them. They took that and twisted it against you since you hadn’t awakened yet.” _

_ Grant remained silent. He was trying all he could to hold back his still-growing rage. He could feel the monster starting to crawl its way out of his throat. He wanted to cry, he wanted to scream. He wanted that monster to rip him apart and finally leave him for dead.  _

_ Dead… He wished that he was still dead. None of this would be happening to him if he had of stayed dead. _

_ “And maybe it’s a good thing they never realized your full potential. Or that they didn’t get a hold of you now.” the demon continued, breaking through Grant’s thoughts. He paused and smiled, “You don’t realize just how powerful you are, do you?” _

_ Grant just stared at him, fire burning in his now-slitted eyes as he tried to ground himself. _

_ “The power you showed in Venice is just a small percentage of your true power.” the demon stated, bringing his index finger and thumb close together. “Maybe not even five percent. And you cracked open the earth in that plaza. Now, just imagine if that was one hundred percent.” _

_ “I don’t want to.” _

_ The demon chuckled, “Good, because it would more than likely destroy the world.” he stated. “Which is probably the last thing that we need.” _

_ Grant blinked, “You’re a demon, wouldn’t you want the Earth destroyed?” he asked, his self-hatred quickly dissolving into confusion. _

_ “Oh, no. Well, at least not me.” he stated in response. “You see, the Earth is our only source of human souls. Damned souls have one of two fates. They either become demons themselves or become demon food. If the Earth is destroyed, there would be a surplus of souls coming in for a while. But with no new souls coming in, it’ll eventually go away. Starving and killing off demonkind.” _

_ “And why are you telling me this?” Grant hissed, still trying to hold his anger down.  _

_ “Because, if you are killed again, that full power will be released and the Earth will be destroyed. Because you are what many in Hell call the Destroyer of Worlds.” That name sent a shock down Grant’s spine for some reason. “Most fear you because they know of your potential. That’s why no one has come after you. They don’t want to risk it.” _

_ “So? Maybe I want to be killed. Why is this such a problem?” _

_ The demon licked his lips, his face flickering, “That man. Phil Coulson. He seeks to kill you again.” he began to explain. “He’s got the vengeance worthy of a demon. I believe that a small force seeks to stop him, but he’s got far too much on his side. He will not stop at nothing to get at you. To get his way. And he will not realize the consequences of his actions until it’s too late. If he kills you, then the Earth is gone.” _

_ Grant’s stomach fell, the true implications of his father’s words setting in. He still couldn’t quite wrap his head around things. “S-So what are you wanting me to do?” he asked, stammering. “What is it you’re asking me to do?” _

_ “To stop him before it’s too late.” _

_ “And how the hell am I supposed to do that when I can’t even control myself?” Grant asked, his voice a mere croak. “I’ve only recently learned how to control my flames. But that monster?” He shook his head, tears in his flaming eyes, “I can’t. I’ve killed innocent people because of it. That was never my MO. I didn’t kill innocents. Now I have innocent blood on my hands because of that damned thing.” _

_ His father took a sharp breath and took a step forward, “You act like it’s a seperate being, but it’s not.” he stated. “It’s all you, Grant. It’s just your fear and rage that makes it seem like it’s controlling you. Learning how to control your fear and rage is the second step of controlling what you are.” _

_ Grant swallowed again, clenching his fists and looking at the ground, “And what’s the first step?” _

_ “Accepting who you are.” The demon step forward, reaching out and placing a hand on Grant’s chest, another shock lancing through Grant’s body. “There’s a reason to why I won’t tell you my real name. Names have power, you know. Especially in hell. Only a certain few can know who I really am.” _

_ Grant frowned, “And what does this have to do with me?” _

_ “The first step in accepting your demonic nature is to accept your true names.” His father smiled, “Grant Douglas Ward is only your human name, you know. You have demon names. If I tell you the each of them, then you can begin to become one with your demon self and it’ll no longer try to control you. But, you won’t be the same.” _

_ “What’s that supposed to mean?” _

_ “It varies from half-demon to half-demon, so I can’t tell you.” he stated. “But, you will change. It’s only a small price to pay to be able to control yourself. It’s up to you. I cannot control you. Now that you have awakened, none can control you no more. You are far more than I ever expected, Grant. But, this must be done if you ever hope to stop that man.” _

_ Grant backed away, not sure of what to say. Yes, he wanted to be able to control himself, but he didn’t want to change anymore than he already had. But, what did have to lose? He had nothing left. There was nothing left for him to lose. _

_ He swallowed and looked back at his father, “Do it. I have nothing left to lose.” he stated. “The entire world’s against me. And I’m tired of fighting.” _

_ His father's smile grew even more, his fangs gleaming in the low light, “Good. Destroyer of Worlds was only one of your true names.” he began. “Ignis. Iblis. The Eater of Worlds. Those are your true names.” He beamed, “And you are a  _ god _ in the eyes of many.” _

_ Grant’s eyes widened as searing pain lanced through him and he fell to his knees. He could feel the monster tearing its way out of him and he looked up to his father through blurred vision, “It… Hurts….” he croaked.  _

_ The demon’s smile grew sinister, “It’s supposed to.” he stated grimly. “I’m sorry it had to be this way, Grant. But I had no choice. You were always easily manipulated, so I took that to my advantage. But I had to.” He looked down at Grant as he writhed in pain, his skin solidifying to obsidian, “Yes, I want you to stop that man because it is true that your death will destroy the world.  _

_ But you are a demon god, boy.” he continued. “You will rule this realm for us and will take out anyone who opposes demonkind. That’s your true purpose now. I saw your new purpose once I realized that I couldn’t possess you. So, I turned you into what you could really be.” His face flickered and morphed into that of Grant’s. He leaned down and placed a hand on Grant’s now-obsidian shoulder.  _

_ “You are a god. You are a  _ monster _ , it’s time to realize that.  _

_ And show this world who you really are.” _

_ And then Grant screamed out as the sky went red. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So an early update for today, but it's a long and, well, deep one. But, it provides a whole lot for Grant's narrative and gives him something else to fight against in addition to Coulson. Is he what destiny wants him to be, or can he fight against his 'purpose' and become his own person? Any guesses to what's to come? Keep the comments and kudos coming!


	16. We are Gods, We are Monsters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grant's true self slowly starts to bleed out.

(The Next Morning)

Grant’s eyes flew open and he jolted up, the contents of the all-too-real ‘dream’ quickly fading from his memory. Something felt strange to him but at the very same time he felt  _ amazing _ . And he wasn’t about to question that. He rose from the motel bed, eyeing the messy duffel bag at the foot of the bed. 

_ “I need to get out of here before it’s too late.”  _ he thought.  _ “Even if Skye promised to keep Coulson away, I still can’t fully hope that she’ll do things the way I want.”  _ He stopped near the bathroom door, a smile pulling at his lips,  _ “If not, I can handle Coulson myself. What’s one man to someone like me? I could deal with him and whatever army he manages to muster up without breaking a sweat. Why keep hiding when I could deal with the problem once and for all? It wouldn’t be that hard.” _

He walked into the bathroom, freezing as he saw his reflection in the mirror, “What the hell?” he muttered. His eyes trailed to the new appendage lazily flicking behind him. He wasn’t sure, but the tail had to be four feet in length at least. It was jet-black and ended in a messy curl of what he swore to be fur. His ears seemed to be even pointier than they already had been and when his lips parted he could see the now-defined points of his canines. 

But, this didn’t freak him out for some reason or another. He only merely accepted it, seeing it just as another part of his growing dilemma. 

A muscle twitched in his cheek and he reached out towards his reflection,  _ “I’m looking more and more like a demon with each passing day.”  _ he thought.  _ “How long until I fully become that monster? But is that monster my true self?”  _ Another smile ghosted across his lips,  _ “But why is that a bad thing? At least I would finally be left alone if I embraced that power. I could be a  _ god _.” _

Grant shook his head, trying to blanket those thoughts. No, that wasn’t him. He wasn’t that power-crazy. He drug a hand down his bearded face. He just wanted to be left alone for good. Why was it so damn hard just to have some peace and quiet for once? 

_ “I need to leave.” _ he thought, heading out of the bathroom.  _ “I’ve stayed here far too long for my liking. Perhaps I’m good for a while if Skye can deter Coulson for me. No….”  _ The hairs stood up on the back of his neck and his tail bristled,  _ “Someone’s already here.”  _

A growl rumbled in his chest as he slipped his clothes on,  _ “Several men. All armed to the teeth.”  _ he thought.  _ “Not SHIELD. It’s too soon for SHIELD. Malick. It’s him. I can sense him. It’s only been what? Five days? He’s impatient. Far too impatient for my liking.”  _ He slipped his hoodie on and took a sharp breath to steady himself, to try and slip into his role of the ‘Hydra god’. But, something else clicked in his brain. A dormant, unconscious blackness started to seep from the depths of his mind, clawing its way into the front. 

The very darkness he had awakened the night before.

He grabbed his bad, deciding that now would be the best time to leave. Walking out of the room, he stopped. He didn’t see the guards, but he knew that they were waiting.

“I know that you’re there.” he called out, dropping his bag. “There’s no use in hiding when I can sense that you’re there.”

A slow clap rang out and Malick, along with about 6 armed Hydra soldiers, came out of seemingly nowhere. Probably some kind of cloaking tech, Grant thought.

“You never cease to amaze me.”

Grant blinked, staring right at the older man, “Why are you here?” he asked. “It’s only been five days. I understand that I may not be very detailed with covering my tracks right now, but still. I said that I wanted time to acclimate to this world. Five days isn’t long enough.”

“Well, I’m tired of waiting.” Malick stated, walking towards Grant. “Yes, it’s only been five days, but I want to get my plan into action. It’s clear that SHIELD is incapable of finding you, so I think that you’re good there. I don’t want to wait.”

Grant’s eyes flared, “And what happened to doing whatever I said?” he asked, his voice cold. “I don’t like where this is going. So, tell me one reason to why I shouldn’t deal with you right here and right now.”

Fear flared in Malick’s eyes, “The world.” he stated slowly. “You could have the world. And entire world at your beckoning, as long as I’m by your side.”

Something coursed through Grant again, but he tried to shake it off. He narrowed his eyes, “You just want world domination. You are only using me as a tool in order to do so.” he said. “I don’t like that.”

_ “He’s your tool.”  _ something whispered in the back of Grant’s mind.  _ “You use him. Hydra can give you the resources to become the demon god of this realm. And when the time comes, kill him. You can kill him now, it doesn’t matter. It wouldn’t hurt to have a tool, though.” _

Grant grimaced and his hand shot out, wrapping around Malick’s neck. He raised him high into the air and he raised a finger to stop the soldiers before they even had a chance to react. “Look, I’m already tired of this facade.” he stated, staring straight into Malick’s fear-filled eyes. “I’m not your god.”

“Huh?”

Grant snorted.  _ “Let it all out.”  _ that voice whispered.  _ “You know what to do. Slowly tap into it. Enough to scare him.” _

He smiled, just enough to reveal his fangs, “Are you really that stupid?” he asked. “I thought you were supposed to be smart.” Grant cracked his neck and Malick’s fear grew even more as he watched the man begin to change. Obsidian black horns erupted out of Grant’s head, curving over the back of his head. His pupils turned to fiery slits as the obsidian, dragon-like claws formed from his hands to his elbows. His tail fell out of his hoodie, hitting the ground. And his massive, dragon-like wings shredded their way out the back of his shirt and hoodie. Grant smiled at Malick, revealing a set of razor-sharp teeth.

It wasn’t the monster that had raged in Venice, but a terrifying mix between human and demon. A halfway point of sorts. 

“Do you really think that your  _ god  _ would be something like me?” Grant laughed, almost hysterically. The soldiers lunged forward, but Grant snapped. The soldiers were then suddenly ablaze in bright hellfire, Malick’s eyes widening as they crumpled in screaming heaps on the ground. “I only used you to keep SHIELD away from me. You should know of the person I am.”

“Ward.”

Grant’s smile only grew, “You’re right on the money.” he laughed. “I was never your god. And I am definitely no one’s tool for world domination. If world domination, to become the  _ god  _ of this world, is what I want, then I would do it myself.” He threw Malick to the ground.

“Then… W-What are you?” Malick stammered.

Grant kneeled down next to Malick, his massive wings almost blocking out the light above them, “A demon.” he almost purred. “But, no, I’m not going to kill you yet, if that’s what you’re thinking. I still want to use you.” He stared into Malick’s eyes, that slitted gaze cutting right into his soul, “You still keep SHIELD away from me. Do whatever it takes. But, you do not touch the hacker or the engineer. Do you understand?”

“Why would I do something for you? You lied. You-”

Grant’s eyes flared, “Do you understand?” he growled. “You  _ will  _ do what I say.”

Malick’s eyes suddenly glazed over, “Y-Yes.” he stammered. “Yes.”

Getting up, Grant looked down at Malick with yet another smile, “Good.” he said. “Don’t disappoint me. I’m not gonna kill you yet. I’m gonna use you like you wanted to use me.” That clawing darkness settled deeper into his mind. “I just want to be left alone. I have to find some way to deal with Coulson without getting my hands dirty.” He rubbed at one of his horns. “You will be one of the first to witness my  _ true power. _ ”

And just like that, Grant (and his bag) were gone in a cloud of embers, leaving the cowering, and now almost-mindless, Malick on the ground. The man slowly got up, staring at the charred remains of his soldiers. Yet, he didn’t feel fear. His glazed-over eyes looked towards the empty parking lot and he started to walk back towards the car he had come in. 

Away from the monster that had eaten his god.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, even if Grant can't remember the dream, the ramifications of it are as clear as day. Which definitely isn't a good thing. Oh, and we'll get more Daisy and Fitz in the next chapter. Any guesses of what will happen next? (I love to hear your guesses.) Keep the comments and kudos coming!


	17. Those Are the Devil's Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The worst for Daisy comes to be.

(Four Days Later)

“Coulson, you don’t understand, do you? We haven’t seen hide nor hair of this ‘devil’ since Venice. Even if Hydra was working with it, we still haven’t seen anything.”

Coulson stared at the screen, trying not to get angry at Talbot, “I have high confidence that the monster  _ is  _ working with Hydra.” he stated firmly. “The ramifications of this are dangerous, you know. Hydra has their god.”

“And I understand that, Coulson.” Talbot answered. “But we cannot go after what we haven't seen. It's impossible. I understand that you wanna go after the freakin’ Devil, but we haven't seen it since Venice.” He trailed off, “And there's another matter that I've been meaning to speak to you about. It seems like your own little Satan has come back to the fold.”

Coulson's face fell, “What do you mean?”

“Seems like Ward is back in business.”

“Wait…. W-What?”

Coulson hadn't told Talbot that the monster was really Grant, so he hadn't been looking for Grant. So this meant that something had happened to get Grant on Talbot's radar. And it definitely couldn't be good.

“Ward came up on surveillance in Salem, Massachusetts.” Talbot began. “Talking to Malick nonetheless. It only went on for about a minute before the surveillance went completely out, probably Hydra’s doing. But if he’s in cahoots with Hydra still, this is bad news.”

_ “Oh yeah, he has no idea of what’s really going on here.”  _ Coulson thought, clenching his robotic fist.  _ “But he’s in good reason to think that, though.” _

“Since you have no authority whatsoever, I’m gonna put an APB out for him.”

Coulson blanched, “An… APB?”

Talbot frowned, “You are the director of a spy agency and you have no idea of what an APB is, Coulson?”

“I know what it is, but why?”

“He’s extremely dangerous, you said that yourself plenty of times. I don’t want someone like that running around freely. This APB will go out to every single law enforcement agency, the FBI, CIA, and Homeland Security, across the country. Armed and extremely dangerous.” the man explained. “Not to be approached, but monitored as higher back-up is contacted.”

Coulson tuned Talbot out as he began to think,  _ “This isn’t good. At all. I can’t let others be dragged into this. This’ll come out as my fault if something happens. But, I can’t tell Talbot that. I have no authority, he’ll do it anyway. I don’t need this mistake coming out. I need to find and deal with Ward before anyone else finds him.” _

“Oh, and Coulson?” Coulson’s attention snapped back to the screen. “You might want to check the loyalty of your agents.”

“What?” Coulson’s stomach froze. What could Talbot possibly mean?

“We were going through the footage and found something. Looks like she tried to cover her tracks, but that hacker girl of yours didn’t plan on us watching through other sources. Agent Johnson seems to be more trouble than she’s worth.”

“What?!” Anger stated to peck at Coulson’s heart. Daisy knew. That was the only explanation.

“Earlier footage shows her going into the same motel room that Ward left a couple of hours before. He returns about thirty minutes after she arrives and she doesn’t leave until that night.” Talbot explained with a frow. “Take what you want from that, but you need to question the loyalty of your agents. If Johnson is really siding herself with Ward, that could mean bad news for your lot. She’s dangerous and if her powers are used for the wrong thing, you-”

Talbot was abruptly cut off as Coulson ended the call in rage. 

“She fucking knows. Ward probably told her everything. That’s why she’s been so distant these past few days.” he muttered to himself. “I can’t have her telling anyone. I’ll have to deal with her properly before it’s too late. Ward means too much to her, there’s no telling to what she could possibly do if she’s given the chance. 

Then there’s the matter of the APB that Talbot’s going to put out.” he continued. “There’s no way that I could interfere with that without looking suspicious. Maybe someone else can deal with him before something happens, but I can’t risk it. Ward’s dangerous. And now that Daisy knows and is probably on his side of things, I’m done for. I at least have to deal with her first.”

Coulson went to storm out of his office, but paused as he swore that he saw a flash of flame out of the corner of his eye. When he turned to see nothing, he shook his head and continued on, figuring that it was just his imagination.

_ “I can’t let anyone else know. I’ll deal with this at the very root.” _

* * *

 

(Later That Day)

Daisy frowned, watching the short video of Ward talking with Malick.  _ “I should’ve stayed.”  _ she thought.  _ “Grant’s in no shape to be dealing with Hydra. At all. Malick thinks him to be their god... “  _ she shook her head.  _ “His mind’s all over the place. Whatever is going on with him is doing some serious damage to him. I don’t know how to help him other than by stopping Coulson’s plans.” _

She frowned again as the footage cut off,  _ “Something fried the cameras. It was sudden.”  _ She rewinded the video just before it cut off and typed in a few commands to clear it up and zoom in. Grant had Malick by the throat, a wicked-looking smile on his face, _ “It’s not clear, but it’s obvious…. And his eyes….”  _ Even with the grainy video, she could still see that they were blazing with fire,  _ “No… Those are the Devil’s eyes, not his. And it’s clear that Hydra’s just provoking him at this point. He wanted to be left alone. It’s either going to be Coulson or Hydra to push him over the edge and I don’t know who will be first to do so.” _

She closed the laptop and placed it aside,  _ “I still haven’t told anyone other than Fitz yet.”  _ she thought, leaning her head against her bed’s headboard.  _ “I’m afraid. I can’t risk having this coming back to Coulson. There’s no telling to what he’ll do to me. I don’t think he’ll hurt me, but there’s still no telling at all.” _

She took a sharp breath,  _ “But, am I really putting my life over others here?”  _ she asked herself.  _ “If Coulson continues and does something to Grant to the point where he completely loses it and people get hurt… That’ll be on Coulson. And on me if I don’t stop things. I’m far stronger than Coulson. He has no authority anymore. He shouldn’t scare me. What’s stopping me from revealing the truth and just leaving everything? I don’t think I can continue being a SHIELD agent if Coulson’s still the Director. I can’t keep working for someone like him.  _

_ I know that Grant’s not a great guy, but there needs to be a line that’s drawn somewhere or another. Coulson can’t keep risking us like this. He knows very well who we’re dealing with and he’s still throwing us to the wolves. He’ll risk anything to kill Grant again and that’s what scares me. I think… I think Coulson’s been gone for a long time now.” _

She reached for her laptop again and opened up, going to the encrypted chat program that she had set up between her and Fitz the day before.  _ ‘Fitz, I think it’s time. We need to at least get Mack involved before it’s too late.’  _ she typed.  _ ‘I feel like something bad’s going to happen if we don’t do something soon.’  _ She pressed send and closed her laptop once more.

_ “We need to act now.”  _ she thought.  _ “We can’t keep waiting around like this. Something’s going to happen. Whether it be Coulson, Hydra, or Grant. Something will happen and it needs to be stopped before it has the chance. I still don’t know what will happen if Grant’s provoked enough. I feel like Venice was only the beginning of things. And… And that truly terrifies me.” _

Daisy went to stand up, but a brisk knock at the door stopped her in her tracks. She froze as the door swung open to reveal a very, very pissed off looking Coulson. She swallowed, realizing that her worst fears were already coming to life.

“Daisy, I need a word with you. Now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A shorter chapter because I wasn't quite sure of what to write, but it tells a lot. Grant's about to be a highly wanted man again and Daisy's finally been found out. And I promise that we'll have some more Grant in the next chapter. Any thoughts of what's gonna happen? I wanna hear them! Keep the comments and kudos coming!


	18. I Don the Devil's Power

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daisy comes face to face with Coulson.

Daisy’s stomach dropped as Coulson came into the room, closing the door behind him. She carefully slid her laptop behind her so Coulson wouldn’t see it. “Sir?” she practically squeaked, giving away her fear. “What’s the matter?”

A vein throbbed in Coulson’s forehead, “Oh, I think that you already know.” he stated coldly. “So why are you even asking?”

She forced a smile and tried to feign her innocence, knowing good and well that Coulson could see right through her. But, she wanted to play innocent for as long as she could. “I don’t understand what you’re talking about.” she stated, trying her best to keep a straight face. But, honestly, she was absolutely terrified. She knew that Coulson was willing to go to any means necessary to keep the truth a secret. 

“You know very well of what I’m talking about, Daisy. Going behind my back.” he began, pointing a robotic finger at her. “I had this all under control without you sticking your fucking nose into it.”

Daisy knew that she couldn’t keep the facade up. Coulson somehow knew about what she had been doing and it was best that she confronted him here and now. She stood to her feet, a massive frown on her face, “Going behind  _ your  _ back?” she asked incredulously. “You’re the one that’s been lying to us since Maveth. You’re the one that threatened Fitz into silence. You’re the one that’s leading us on a wild goose chase after the nonexistent Hydra ‘god’. You need to tell us the truth because I can tell that you’re willing to do anything to cover your lying ass so you don’t have to admit the truth.”

Coulson’s lips twitched, “And why does this matter so much to you?” he asked. “I did what had to be done. He was a threat and I dealt with that threat.”

“It’s not the matter of the fact that you killed Ward, it’s the fact that you lied to us, Coulson.” she stated firmly, standing to her feet. “It’s the fact that you threatened the hell out of Fitz. It’s the fact that you didn’t go to that planet to save Fitz and were more than willing to sacrifice him so you could get your petty revenge. You could’ve just left Ward there, you know. You didn’t have to stoop down to his level. If I’m being honest, Coulson, you’re no better than he was.”

Coulson took a step towards her, “I am nothing like him.” he growled. “Do not equate me to the likes of him.”

Daisy looked dumbfounded, “Are you kidding me?!” she demanded. “Have you seen how you’ve been acting lately?! You sent us after that ‘god’ knowing very well of who he was! You knew how dangerous it was and you kept the truth from us.”

“So you know of what Ward is, don’t you.” Not a question, but a statement. “Talbot told me you were spotted on surveillance headed into the same motel as Ward. You didn’t do a good job of covering your tracks. So, what’s that about?”

“There’s nothing between us, if that’s what you’re asking. I sought out the truth myself.” she answered coldly. “And he told me what I needed to know.”

“And you trust what he says?”

“Honestly? I can’t trust you right now, Coulson. You’re willing to do whatever the hell it takes to cover your ass so no one knows of what you’ve become.” Daisy stated. “So, what are you going to do? You can’t do anything to me. I found out the truth that everyone else needs to know.”

Coulson stalked pass her and snatched her laptop. He turned around to face her, “I’m revoking your technology and mission privileges.” He took the laptop and threw it to the floor, shattering the device on impact. He glared at her to keep her quiet, “You are to be on lockdown in this room. I will have another agent bring you food.”

Daisy’s mouth dropped open, “You can’t do this!” she exclaimed. “And what the hell are you going to tell the others?”

“That you were caught hacking into government servers.” he stated matter of factly. “And that I had to take measures before Talbot could do something worse.” He walked pass her again, “And if I catch you going after Ward yourself, I will have to take more drastic measures, Daisy.” He stopped right behind her, “I don’t like my agents working against me, and I won’t have that at all. I will take Ward down again and you will not be a part of it at all.”

“You have no idea of what you’re dealing with, do you?” Daisy asked, trying to keep her anger down. “Do you have any of idea of what you’ve provoked?”

Coulson stopped right at the door, “I know of what he is, Daisy.” he stated. “I can deal with him. And I’ll do it before Talbot can go after him. As of about an hour ago, there’s a nationwide APB out for him. Either I or the military will kill him. And you will no longer have a part in this. At all. And I will take more drastic measures if I have to. Even if that means putting you in one of the Vaults. I will not take betrayal lightly.”

And with that, Coulson left the room, locking the door behind him so she couldn’t get out. Daisy stood there, unable to move or process what had just happened. That was the final nail in the coffin for her. The Coulson she knew and loved had died a long time ago. This Coulson was borderline insane; he was willing to do anything to cover up the fact that he had unleashed a monster onto the world. 

And Daisy knew that she needed to find a way out of here. And quickly at that, too.

* * *

 

(Somewhere in the American South, The Next Day)

Grant frowned, hiding behind a corner where he was out of the sight of two police officers. He wasn’t quite sure of where he was due to the fact that the had taken his things and had literally flown south after the confrontation with Malick. He tuned into what they were talking about, his stomach dropping as he did so.

“Did you see that APB the military just issued yesterday?” one asked, placing his hands on his belt. “That’s some serious shit.”

“I glanced over it, but I didn’t really look at it all that well.”

“Well, you really should. It’s not everyday when a  _ nationwide  _ APB is put out by the military.” the first one stressed. “Here, I’ll read it to you.” Grant watched as the officer pulled out his phone and pulled something up. “Grant Douglas Ward.” he began, making Grant’s blood run cold. “About 33 years old. Accused of treason, several counts of murder, and conspiracy with Hydra. Orders to contact the military on sight. Don’t engage him. At all.”

“No shoot to kill?” the second officer asked. “If the military wants to deal with him, then that’s bad news.”

“I don’t think a small town officer can deal with a criminal of that nature.” the first stated. “So, I’m good with that. But it’s very unlikely that he’ll show up somewhere like here.”

Blood started to roar in Grant’s ears and he sunk deeper into the alley. He sunk to his knees and gripped the sides of his head as he could tell that the monster was already trying to claw its way out of his chest in response to his fear. The  _ entire  _ country was after him. He knew that this wasn’t Coulson’s doing. Talbot? Grant knew that Coulson had a partnership with the soldier. But, this was still bad news. If every law enforcement agency in the country was looking for him, he couldn’t get far without being caught.

_ “Why are you so damn afraid?”  _ that voice echoed in his head.  _ “You are far greater than they’ll ever be. You could end them with a wave of your hand. Don’t let them kill you. You know what your death will mean.” _

“No…” Grant muttered, gripping the sides of his head even harder. “They’re innocent. They’re just doing their jobs. They don’t know what they’re getting themselves into.”

_ “But, if the military comes, you’re dead. Kill anyone before they have the chance to call for help.”  _ the voice crooned.  _ “Remember, you are a  _ god _. You do not bow to humanity. You are much greater than anyone on this ravaged planet. Show them who you really are.” _

Grant shook his head, but another voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

“What… What the hell? It’s that guy, Jinson! Call for backup, now!”

His head shot up and he saw the two police officers staring in fear at him, their hands on the butt of their guns. Something shot through him and that voice crooned at him once more. Grant slowly rose to his feet, his fear all but gone. He smiled at them and took a single step towards them, letting his wings tear out of his back. His horns arced over his head and he smiled again to reveal his razor-sharp teeth. The obsidian on his arms gleamed in the afternoon light. 

The two officers stepped back in fear, not sure of what to do at all. They were frozen in place as the half-monster took another step towards them. 

“W-What are you?” one stammered. “Please, j-just leave us alone.”

“You saw me.” Grant crooned, that voice in the back of his head beginning to take him over. “I can’t allow you to run if I want to survive. I can’t be killed. It’s best for everyone that I live. So, I must stop you here.” He grimaced as something else shot through him, “No…” he trailed off. “I can’t do that. I don’t want to kill anyone.” The voice echoed out in his head again, screaming at him to attack. His smile returned, “But, I do what I need to do.”

“But, what are you?” the second officer asked, his voice small and full of fear. “What the hell are you?”

Grant stepped towards them again, his arms outstretched as flames sparked from the obsidian cracks. 

“I am a  _ god. _ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is going to start the final stretch of the story. Hold on, it's gonna be a rough and dark ride, though. And I'll definitely try for a happy ending, though. Any thoughts of what'll happen next? Keep the comments and kudos coming!


	19. Your Eyes Without a Face

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The clock crawls closer to midnight...

(Sometime Later)

Grant’s body shook as he pulled himself away from the two bodies. Oh,  _ God _ . Why was there so much blood? Just what had he done? He couldn’t remember any of it to save his life. All he knew was that he had mercilessly slaughtered two officers that had just been doing their jobs. 

He had begun to revel in the power that being a demon brought him, but at what cost? He no longer felt weak; he had more than enough power. But, was it worth it when that power cost the lives of others? The lives of innocent people that didn’t ask to be caught in his warpath, one he barely knew of himself. 

_ “Why are you grieving?”  _ the voice jeered deep within his head.  _ “Demons don’t grieve. They got in your way and you showed them who you really are. That’ll teach others to cross your path.” _

“But…” Grant began to sob. “They didn’t do anything. They’re not SHIELD. They’re not SHIELD. They were just doing their job. They didn’t know.”

_ “Right now, everyone is your enemy. The entire world is your enemy, Grant.”  _ the voice continued.  _ “Show them who you really are. Overcome them and show them that they’re nothing but ants to you. Stomp on them. Crush them.” _

Grant shook his head, staring down at the blood that coated his hands, “No, this isn’t what I wanted.” he muttered. “I wanted to be stronger. I wanted to be able to control myself. Not this. Not this at all.”

_ “Power comes with a cost, boy. Surely you should be able to realize that.”  _ the voice laughed, digging daggers deep into Grant’s mind.  _ “You are a god. You have to overcome those who seek to step all over you. You have to show them who you really are. Before it’s too late.” _

“I don’t want to kill anymore.” Grant muttered, his hands falling to his sides. “This isn’t who I am.”

_ “You’re still clinging onto your human side, Grant. What a shame. You need to let go of that. It’s holding you back. As long as you cling onto what’s humann, you will not be able to reach your full potential. And you won’t be able to take Coulson down at this rate.” _

Grant’s head shot up at that, “Huh?”

_ “If you keep letting what little is left of your humanity hold you back, he will get the upper hand. You can’t let anything hold you back. Malick is getting close to him. Once he’s there and Coulson’s distracted by him, you attack. But, you must not let anything hold you back, Grant. Let go of that humanity and you will be able to finally exact your revenge. Let nothing hold you back. Just let go.” _

“I don’t want… I don’t want that…. I…”

_ “NO! It’s exactly what you want!”  _ the voice screeched.  _ “You are more than human, boy! Show the world that! Stop letting mundane emotions hold you back ! You are a god, don’t run away from that. Let it take you over. Let that power course through you.” _

Grant felt claws digging into his mind and he tried to fight back, but another part of him was screaming at him to let the darkness take over. To make him fully embrace the demon god he could be. And why should he fight against that? He would finally have the power to take Coulson and SHIELD down. No one would ever be able to trample over him again. Wasn’t that what he wanted? Wasn’t that the power that he always wanted?

His shoulders slumped as he accepted his fate. This was the way that things needed to go. If he was to overcome those who opposed him, this is what he needed to do. Even if he had to give up the last shred of humanity that he had left. 

_ “Good! Good! Accept it, Grant!”  _ the voice screeched in utter glee.  _ “This is who you really are! Show them what you can do!” _

Grant stood to his feet, a smile pulling at his lips to reveal his pointed teeth. His wings exploded from his back and his horns arched back over his head. He wiped his nose with an obsidian claw, the blood from the officers long gone. 

_ “That’s more like it.”  _ the voice rumbled.  _ “Ignis. The Eater of Worlds. That’s who you are. Nothing more, nothing less. Your pawn is close to your target, my son. It’s time to act. It all ends here.” _

Grant stretched his blackened, bat-like wings behind him, the voice still rumbling deep within his head. 

_ “Oh, and you better hurry it up. That girl of yours has been exposed and Coulson plans to act against her soon.” _

Fury shot through Grant’s chest and he let out a low growl, his tail bristling. He should’ve known that she would be found out sooner or later, but he didn’t think that it would happen so soon. She needed to get out of there before it was too late. 

“Skye..”

Grant shot up into the sky, smoke trailing behind him. And he headed far away from that bloodied alley.

Leaving the little humanity he had left behind. 

* * *

 

(Elsewhere, About the Same Time)

Daisy sat in silence, mulling over her options. Honestly, there wasn’t much she could do right now. She  _ knew  _ that she couldn’t stay here while Coulson was doing God knows what, but she was basically locked in her room with no way out. She suspected that the power inhibitors that Mack had installed (to help her with nightmares and a loss of control) were now being used against her. So, there was no blasting her way out of here. And she had no way to contact the others to tell them what was really going on. She had to hope that Fitz would quickly pick up on things, but she feared that Coulson would continue to threaten him into utter silence. 

And Daisy was sure that Coulson would try his damndest to turn everything against her so he didn’t seem like the bad guy. She still wasn’t sure of what had happened to him, but he was long gone. He was so hellbent on trying to cover himself up that he wasn’t aware of the harm he was doing. And she feared the extent to which he would go to. There was probably no end to his self-righteousness and he would get just what he wanted in the very end if he had his way.

Now the entire military, no,  _ country _ was after Grant. And there was no telling to what that would cause. She hadn’t seen the extent of Grant’s powers and she wasn’t sure to whether there was an end to them or not. He was far from human. And she knew he would do whatever it took to survive. When she had talked to him, she had seen the desperation in his eyes. He didn’t want to die again. She knew that Coulson would be long dead before Grant could fall once more. But, what could Grant’s death cause? If his first death turned him into that monster, then what would a second death entail? She shivered at the very thought. 

_ “I don’t know what to do.”  _ she thought.  _ “It’ll be near impossible to get out of here, but I can’t let Coulson keep doing the shit he’s doing. I have to find a way to stop him before it’s too late. Before someone gets hurt or even worse. I don’t know to what Coulson or Grant are truly capable of. I don’t want this turning into a hellstorm, if it isn’t already one. There’s also no telling to what Hydra’s doing. They’re pursuing Grant as well, thinking he’s their god. I don’t know what will happen if they manage to make him think that. Grant’s gullible.” _

Daisy looked over to her shattered laptop. There had been no salvaging it after Coulson had all but destroyed it. Just the way that he had threatened her… She shook her head. Coulson was so damn set on covering his ass. Wouldn’t it be way easier to admit that he had killed Grant? But, Daisy knew that he probably didn’t want to take the blame for whatever Grant did as that  _ thing _ . He was too self-righteous for that, unfortunately. 

_ “I’ve got to find a way to stop him before it’s too late.”  _ she thought, sliding off of her bed and to her feet.  _ “I don’t know how far Coulson is willing to go to keep this all a secret. He’s already threatened Fitz into silence and put me on complete lockdown. I’ve got to find a way out of here before someone gets hurt. I can’t let anyone get hurt. I should’ve known that Coulson would see right through me, I just didn’t think he would so soon. I just can’t-” _

Her thoughts were cut off as something rumbled behind her and she felt a blast of flame. A heavy presence descended onto her as she forced herself to turn around, a hand flying to her mouth as she saw what stalked towards her. 

It was Grant, but not Grant at the same time. 

Ethereal flames danced off of him as her eyes shot towards the massive, bat-like wings that were outstretched behind him. A jet-black tail dragged the ground and his arms seemed to be made out of some kind of glowing rock. A pair of horns hugged his head like they were some kind of crown marking him as royalty. 

He smiled to reveal a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth, “Skye.” he breathed, his voice heavy and low, like he was fighting something back. 

Flames danced off of him as he took a lumbering step towards her and Daisy tried not to scream. This couldn’t be happening. This thing was a monster. Not the man Coulson sought to kill.

And when her eyes locked with his slitted, blood-red pupils she could tell that it wasn’t completely him, even though it had his face. 

Whatever this  _ thing  _ was, it wasn’t Grant Ward. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that Grant seems a little all over the place here, but remember he's got a whole other being in his head influencing his thoughts. So, he's not gonna be mentally stable for a while. And I'm sorry for that ending, but I'll explain things in the next chapter. Any guesses of what's to come? Keep the comments and kudos coming!


	20. This is Where You Break

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daisy comes face to face with Grant.

Daisy took a step back, trying to tear her locked gaze away from Grant’s eyes. “Who… Who are you?” she asked, her voice completely laced with fear. 

Grant stopped and cocked his head in confusion, “I don’t… I don’t understand.” he stated, his voice still heavy. “I’m Grant, Skye. Did something happen to you?”

She swallowed. He claimed that he was still Grant, but she knew that he  _ wasn’t  _ Grant. Or at least not completely. He wasn’t like this the last time that she had seen him. Something was different. She could tell that he had changed.

“No…” she breathed. “I know Grant and you aren’t him. You’re far from it.”

_ “She doesn’t know what she’s talking about.”  _ the voice jeered in his head as he frowned.  _ “You claim that you want to take her from here, but I think she is now a liability. She doesn’t trust you. I didn’t think that something like this would happen. You need to get out of here.” _

_ “N-No…” Grant thought, shaking his head. “I need time. More time. I want to get her the hell out of here.” _

Daisy backed up again, still trying to tear her eyes away from the crown-like horns that hugged his head. “What… What the hell happened to you?” she asked, her voice still a mere fear-filled croak. “Why are you here?”

He kept his eyes locked onto her, “You’re in danger.” he stated, his eyes burning. “I need to get you out of here before Coulson can do something to you. Well, something worse.”

Her face fell, “Wait, do you know of what’s going on?” she asked, clenching her fists. “How much do you know?”

“I just know that Coulson will do something against you soon.”

She almost let out a dark laugh, “Soon?! I’m a prisoner in my own damn room because he found out that I went to go see you.” she stated coldly. “You’re a moment too late there, Ward.”

He tried to reach out towards her with an obsidian claw, but pulled back as Daisy shied away from him. “Did he hurt you?”

“No, but my laptop was a victim.” she answered. “But, he was stern on not having me interfere anymore. He’s willing to do whatever the hell it takes to kill you and cover his ass. He’s after you now. Before Talbot can kill you. And Talbot doesn’t even know of what you are.”

Smoke escaped Grant’s lips as he let out a snarl. His body was trembling as the voice screamed on and on in his head. “I can’t… I can’t let him do that.” he growled lowly. “I can’t die again. Not a good idea.” His wings bristled behind him. 

“And how do you plan on stopping him?” Daisy asked, still keeping her distance from him. There was still something  _ wrong  _ about him. Something terribly off. She still knew that it wasn’t fully him. It almost felt as though there was something, or  _ someone  _ else, inside of him. 

Grant snarled again, showing his gleaming white fangs, “I’ll kill him.” he hissed. “I’ll tear him limb from limb to ensure that he won’t hurt anyone else again. I’ll…” He trailed off and shook his head, his entire demeanor changing in mere seconds. “No… I don’t want to kill him. I just don’t want him killing me again.”

_ “I thought that you wanted him dead?”  _ the voice crooned.  _ “Isn’t that what you want? For him to pay for what he did to you?”  _

“No!” Grant hissed. “I don’t know  _ what  _ I want!”

Daisy frowned,  _ “Wait. He’s arguing with himself. Something’s definitely wrong here.”  _ she thought.  _ “Something happened since I saw him last. He’s becoming more unstable. There’s no telling to what could possibly happen if Coulson managed to completely piss him off.” _

Grant looked back up to her, tucking his massive wings against his body, “I just don’t want him hurting anyone else.” he muttered, his voice small and scared. “He’s already going too far. I don’t want him risking anyone else for his stupid little game. Talbot and the military is one thing. He’s trying to uphold the law. He doesn’t know of what he’s getting himself into. But, Coulson is purely self-righteousness and revenge. I’ll already died once and I’m suffering because of what I’ve done. But, he doesn’t see that. At all. And I’ll do whatever it takes to stop him, Skye.”

“What… What happened to you?”

A muscle twitched in Grant’s face and he turned away from her, “I sacrificed what I had left for control.”

“And what was that?”

“My humanity.”

Daisy didn’t get a chance to ask him about it because a sudden rap at the door startled her. A growl sounded from Grant and she suddenly found herself being shoved behind Grant, his wings being brought around her like a shield of sorts. 

“Daisy, I know that you’re on, uh, house arrest. But we have a problem.”

Coulson.

“Like what?” Daisy bit back.

“Malick of some of his men attacked another one of our bases. It’s bad.” Coulson began to explain, unlocking the door. Daisy swore that Grant let our a small chuckle. “I’m ordering you to come with us. We…”  

The door flung open and Coulson froze as he saw the demonic form of Grant standing between him and Daisy. “Ward.” he almost croaked, trying to process the sight in front o him. “What… What are you doing here?”

Grant’s lips pulled into a wicked grin and Daisy shivered as she felt something strange coming from him. “Prison break it seems.” he stated, keeping Daisy behind him. “You’ve taken it a step too far. And I'm surprised that you're not shocked to see me, considering that this is the first time you've seen me since _then._ ”

“You leave her alone.” Coulson stated, walking into the room and closing the door behind him. He completely ignored the latter part of what Grant had said. He couldn’t risk having someone walk up and see Grant. “She isn’t yours to take.”

“And she isn’t your to lock up just because she happened to piss you off.”

Coulson clenched his fists, “She went behind my back. You-”

Grant laughed, cutting him off. He pointed a claw at him, “That’s pot calling the fucking kettle black!” he jeered. “You’ve been going behind everyone’s backs, Phil. Why not man up to your own mistakes?”

“This is something that others don’t need to know about.”

“So, you’re willing to sacrifice and threaten people left and right? Oh, how the mighty have fallen so far.”

Coulson snarled, “And who are you to call me that?” he asked angrily. “I don’t think that the murderous Hydra agent turned monster can say anything against me. You-”

He was cut off as he suddenly found himself against the wall, Grant’s clawed, obsidian hand around his throat. 

“Don’t call me that.” Grant hissed, sparks flaring out of his nostrils. “That isn’t me anymore. But, if you keep it up, I’ll find a way to tear you apart. Piece by fucking piece. All while slowly roasting you alive. The world is better off without a jackass like you.”

Coulson struggled against Grant’s stone-like grip, “Likewise. The world is better off without a monster like you. Is there even anything human left in you?”

“Grant. Drop him.”

Grant’s head whipped around to see Daisy looking at him, a scared look in her eyes. Even though she hated Coulson, she didn’t want to see Grant rip him apart. 

Grant let out a huff, dropping Coulson and taking a step back, “Funny thing is that I’m still more of a human than you are, Coulson.” he stated coldly. “You’re on the level I once was. At least I changed.”

Coulson rubbed against his neck, slowly standing to his feet, “You’re wrong. I see nothing but a devil in your eyes. Nothing more. Nothing less.”

“And I see the very same in yours.”

Before Coulson could protest, flames suddenly engulfed both Grant and Daisy. The flames quickly died away to reveal that they had disappeared. Grant had taken Daisy elsewhere.

“Shit!” 

Coulson stormed out of the room, fury in his eyes. If it was a war that Grant wanted, then that was the very thing that he would give him. 

_ “You’ve gone too, far Ward. I’ll end you once and for all.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait, but I was waiting for the semester to end to start writing again. So, I should be in the grove again now! And we're probably down to the wire here. Any guesses of what's to happen? Thoughts? Keep the comments and kudos coming!


	21. Violent Delights, Growing Inside

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daisy and Grant come to terms with things.

(Elsewhere)

Daisy stumbled as she suddenly found ground underneath her. She blinked and spun around to see that she was in some dingy and dark motel room. 

“Good. You’re safe. I wasn’t sure how taking you out of there was going to work.”

Daisy’s stomach fell and she turned to see Grant, back in human form, sitting on the edge of the ratty bed. Even though he looked human,the cold and calculating look in his eyes reminded her of what he really was. And was that a  _ tail  _ hanging over the side of the bed? 

“What the hell was that?!” she demanded. “Why did you do that?”

“What? Take you out of there? Skye, that was a prison.” Grant blinked, showing no traces of emotion on his face. “Coulson was fully intending on keeping you there until he finds a way to kill me. He thinks that you’ll just in the way; keep him from doing what he wants.”

“Yeah, but,”

“But what? I thought you were against Coulson in this?” he asked with a tilt of his head. “That going after me again was wrong? Why are you protesting against me now?”

“Because you don’t even seem like the same guy anymore, Grant.” she stated coldly. “The last I saw you… You were terrified and didn’t know what to do. Now… I can’t even describe what you are now. Cold. Emotionless. What changed in you?”

Grant stood to his feet, towering over her, “I saw the truth, Skye.” he answered firmly. “I found out who I really am. And I am reveling in that power.”

“Then who are you really?”

He smiled to reveal his pointed canines, “I don’t think that you would ever want to know that. But, I am finally  _ powerful _ . I won’t be killed anymore.” he explained in a voice that chilled Daisy right down to her bones. “I no longer have to worry about being  _ weak _ .” His smile grew, “I finally have the power I lacked for all of those years.”

“Then… Then why go after Coulson?”

He shook his head, “I’m not going after him.” he answered. “I just need to find a way to keep him from killing me. Because if he does, every last bit of power my body contains will escape. And that may very well cause a catastrophe.”

_ “What does he mean by ‘catastrophe’?”  _ Daisy thought to herself, still staring at Grant.  _ “Is it what I’ve feared all along? What will his death cause?” _

“That’s why I intend on keeping Coulson from killing me, Skye.” he continued without waiting for her to answer. “I don’t want that  _ catastrophe  _ happening. So, I can’t let him kill me again.”

“And how do you intend on stopping him?”

Grant stroked at his ragged beard, “I’ve sent him a gift for the time being until I’m ready to fully do something about it.” He smiled once more, “I imagine you know just what it is. Afterall, it was what he was there for before he saw me.”

Daisy’s face fell as she realized just what he was talking about, “Malick.” She swallowed, “Are… Are you working for him?”

Grant looked offended, “Hell no.” he almost spat. “It’s more like he’s working  _ for  _ me for the time being and I don’t expect him to survive it.”

An unsettling chill settled over Daisy as she began to realize that she probably didn’t want to know just what Grant was truly referring to. Something about him still scared her. His 180 degree change just from a few days ago had changed him into someone almost unrecognizable. It was like the darkest parts of him had been pulled out of him and made whole. But, she could still see that scared man behind those eyes. He was still there. He was just driven by revenge and the need to survive. This could be stopped. The man she once loved was still in there, just covered up by whatever he had become. 

“This can’t keep going on forever, Grant. You know that.” she stated, still unmoving as she watched Grant’s tail flick around lazily. “This has to end sooner or later. Or Coulson’s going to bring the entirety of SHIELD to the ground with him. I can’t… I can’t let this happen.”

“Like I said, I fully intend on taking him down.” Grant’s pointed smile grew. “I show him what happens when you play with fire. You only get burned.”

_ “And you should kill him. Show them all what you are truly capable of.”  _ the voice screamed.  _ “Show them your true form and end this once and for all.” _

Grant grimaced, trying to ignore the voice, “I am not that  _ weakling  _ anymore, Skye.” he stressed. “No one controls me anymore. Coulson isn’t the one to judge whether I live or die. Things need to be set right and it’s time for me to prove myself. To show everyone who I really am.”

“Grant, you don’t have to prove yourself to anyone.” Daisy stated, taking a step forward. “Why not drop everything and live your own life? Coulson’s only a small problem. Don’t you want your own life for once? Not dictated by anything else?”

“I have to stop Coulson, Skye.” he stressed once more. “I can’t let him keep hurting you like this.” His voice grew soft and the hard light in his eyes faded. “He’s gone too far. I wouldn’t be surprised if his next step ended with someone dead. He’s that desperate to cover his mistakes. I still go by what I said back there about him being the true monster. Horns and flames don’t make me a monster. 

I’m not the man I once was.” he continued. “That man is long dead and I don’t want to look back at him. But, Coulson keeps bringing him back. I left behind that monster. But I have to deal with another one before it’s too late. Humans are the real monsters. I will always believe that. I will do whatever it takes to cover the past and make this right. I  _ will  _ stop him before it’s too late, Skye. Before he does something that can’t be undone.”

And there was the hidden man. His rage and pride had covered it. This was the man he truly was, Daisy just knew it. The man that wanted to see everyone safe and wanted to make things right. But, Daisy suspected that something that was twisting it. That’s why he was so back and forth with his thoughts and behaviors. 

Grant took another step and they were mere inches from each other, “Skye, there’s something wrong with me.” he whispered. “There’s something in my head, screaming at me. And I don’t know what it is. I want it to stop, but it never shuts up. I know it’s that monster that’s hiding in my veins. It wants me to raze everything around me. But, I don’t want that. I want to be left alone.”

_ “What are you talking about?!”  _ it roared.  _ “You are a god! You are Ignis! The Eater of Worlds! Remember that! You will rule this world!” _

Grant grimaced, “I don’t know what to do, Skye.” he croaked. “I haven’t slept in days. My dreams are filled with that monster. I tried to embrace my power so I could control it, but it only made things worse. Much worse. Stopping Coulson isn’t going to solve my problems. I still want to die, but dying will cause problems. For everyone. I… I just don’t know what to do anymore. That  _ thing  _ is a curse. And I don’t know what will happen if it comes out again.”

“So… What was that earlier? The wings? The horns?” Daisy really wasn’t sure of what to ask him. His mood had shifted so quickly. 

Grant leaned his head back as his wings suddenly burst from his back. The obsidian crawled up from the tips of his fingers to his elbows as his crown-like horns arced over his head. He looked back at her with flaming eyes, “This is the most I can do, I think. I’m too afraid to do anything more. I can already feel it clawing at my stomach.” His demonic features quickly receded back into his body. The confidence he had gained after the ‘talk’ with his father just that morning had quickly faded. 

His emotions still marked him as human, even though his body didn’t. That ‘voice’ wanted him to destroy his emotions so he could become what it wanted him to be. Grant didn’t remember who the ‘voice’ was or what had happened that morning.

“Skye. I need help and I don’t know where else to go. You’re the only person that I trust and that’s saying a lot.” he muttered. “This is more than stopping Coulson. Way more. I don’t know what will happen if I can’t get this  _ thing  _ under control. I don’t know what to do.” His shoulders slumped with the weight of the world around him. 

Daisy swallowed and found herself placing a hand on his shoulder, “Grant, admitting you need help says a lot. There’s still something human in there, even if you are a demon. You say that you gave up your humanity to gain more power, but I still see it in you. It’s still there. 

You want to stop Coulson because you don’t want others getting hurt because of you.” she continued softly. “You may be a devil, but you have a human’s heart.”

Grant looked up, a low, almost-miserable light in his eyes, “Can you really say that after everything that I’ve done?”

“Isn’t that in the past? You said that that man is dead, that you’re someone else.”

“Yeah, but…”

“But nothing. I… I can see that you’ve changed, Grant. That you want to leave the past behind.” Daisy continued. “Then why not do so?” She studied the tired look in his eyes. 

“But, that monster. I can’t… I don’t know how to deal with it.”

“Then find a way. It’s still you, isn’t it?”

Grant looked away, not sure of what to say anymore. Truly, Daisy was right. The monster was still him, so there  _ should  _ be a way to conquer it. It was just a part of him that he needed to learn how to deal with. 

“Hey.”

Grant looked back up to her. 

“But, take your time.” Daisy continued. “I don’t know what you’re really going through. This is something that needs time. I don’t think that you can get over it in a matter of days. It’s a big change. A  _ very  _ big change.”

He nodded, “I… I suppose so. It’s just that I’m so tired. I can’t sleep. I can barely eat. I-”

“Then I’ll help you. I think it’s time for me to give SHIELD a break for a while. Even if we do stop Coulson.” Daisy stated, cutting him off. “Like you said, I’m the only one that you trust right now. So, I’ll help. As long as it makes things better and we can end Coulson’s shit.”

A small smile pulled at Grant’s lips, but he remained silent as he looked at her. Honestly, he was glad that he would have her help. At least someone would be willing to do so and he was glad that it was her. Very glad. 

Silence filled the void between them with the just staring at one another for the longest. Then, they suddenly found their lips meeting, a strange warmth enveloping them. Grant quickly pulled away, an intense blush rising to his cheeks. 

“I-I’m sorry, I-I shouldn’t of had.”

Daisy swallowed, fighting down her own blush, “It’s… It’s fine. It was… Nice.”

Grant licked his lips, “Skye. Thanks. At least you’re… At least you’re willing to help me. I don’t think anyone else would do something like this for me.”

She smiled, “It’s fine. Don’t worry. And besides, it’ll be worth it if Coulson’s stopped in the end.” she stated. “And if you can come to terms with everything.”

Grant turned his back to her, “Malick draws near to him.” he stated. “He’ll be enough of a distraction for Coulson for us to swoop in and do something. Tomorrow. It’ll happen tomorrow.”

“Are you certain?”

“Yes.”

_ “Are you really, though?”  _ the voice laughed.  _ “You will learn to be the prince you are. You will embrace your loyalty when you confront him. And you will take everything from him. _

_ And you will regret bringing that girl into this mess. For she will only hold you back from what you truly want to become, even if you don’t know it yourself yet.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So with this, I'm really starting to wind things down. There's probably only a few chapters left, but I'll try my best to make them the best possible. Any guesses of what's to come? Keep the comments and kudos coming!


	22. It Has to be This Way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team discovers who they've been after all along.

(Elsewhere, The Next Day)

“What do you want, Malick?” Coulson asked, staring down the Hydra leader and his men. “We’re kind of busy right now, so we really don’t have the time to deal with this shit.”

Malick smiled, an absent light in his eyes, “I’ve been ordered to keep SHIELD at bay.” he responded, something strange in his voice. “To delay you.”

“By whom?” May asked, standing her ground. “Who ordered you to attack us?”

“I can’t say.”

Coulson frowned,  _ “This is obviously Ward’s doing. I just know it.”  _ he thought. He casted a brief look at this team, minus Daisy who was still missing along with Ward.  _ “But how did he gain control over Malick? I need to deal with this soon before it’s too late. Before anything about Ward still being alive can escape his lips.” _

“Then stand down.” Coulson ordered. “We don’t want to fight here. Not today. You’ve done enough damage to us, Malick. I’m not ready to lose anything else.”

Malick’s chilling smile grew, “And when our  _ god  _ comes, nothing else will be left standing in his wake.” he proclaimed. Whatever control Grant had over him had erased the fact that the ‘god’ really was Grant. Grant was playing his part of the Hydra god very well. 

“So, that thing that crawled out of the Maveth portal,” Mack began, keeping Fitzsimmons behind him and Elena. “Is your so-called ‘god’? The last time I checked, no god looked like the devil.”

“Oh, you would be surprised.”

Fitz gulped, watching the conversation go down,  _ “We never got Mack’s help before Coulson locked Daisy away. Now she’s God knows where. Coulson won’t tell us where she went other than she ‘ran off’. But, I know it was Ward’s doing. He got her out of there. And that happening right before we confront Malick…”  _ He shook his head,  _ “It’s connected. Ward’s done something to Malick. I wouldn’t be surprised if he showed up within the next few minutes. He wants revenge. And I’ll bet that he’ll be willing to do anything in order to get just that.” _

“Our god will claim what is rightfully his.” Malick continued, raising a hand for his soldiers. “And I will rule this world right beside him.”

“And what makes you think that he’ll let you do such a thing?” Coulson asked, knowing the truth. He knew that this was all a ruse devised by Grant. Malick would be dead in no time at all if Grant had his way.

“I’ve offered him protection. He said he would fulfill my wishes if I did so.”

“And you’re so fucking gullible.”

Coulson frowned just as a blast of flame erupted between the two groups, knocking them both back. As the embers faded away and Coulson struggled to pull himself to his feet, he could see a massive pair of bat-like wings blocking Malick from view. But, the figure was smaller. He knew this figure as a feeling of dread settled into his chest.

“M-My lord.” Malick stammered, pulling himself to his feet. “What do you mean?”

“I was never going to fulfill your wishes.” the figure sneered. A look of recognition ghosted across the teams’ faces as the voice sounded  _ very  _ familiar to them, except for Mack and Elena. 

“Sir, get back.” Morse called as Coulson took a step back. “Get the hell away from that thing. Now.”

Coulson shook his head, “No… This can’t be happening.” he muttered. “Even though I knew it would.”

“You’ve fulfilled your mission.” the figure stated, suddenly having Malick in a deathgrip. The Hydra soldiers started forward, but the figure raised a hand and they were suddenly all ablaze. They crumpled to the ground in burning heaps.

“You… You can’t do this.” Malick pleaded, fear shining in his eyes. “After everything I’ve done for you.”

“And like I said, you’ve fulfilled your mission. You led me to him, just like I wanted you to. And I must thank you for that. But, this is where we part.”

Fitz looked around as he tried to wrap his head around what was happening, his eyes landing on who seemed to be Daisy in the distance, hiding behind a pile of rubble. As their eyes met, she pressed a finger to her lips. Fitz’s heart lurched. She had a plan. He didn’t fully trust it, but he had to for right now. There was no other choice at this point.

“Please, you can’t… I…”

“And I was never your god, anyways. I’m just a damn good actor.”

And faster than anyone could blink, Malick crumpled to the ground, his neck broken. The figure laughed a dark and rumbling laugh. And judging by the worried look that Fitz could see on Daisy’s face, this wasn’t supposed to happen. Something was wrong.

“He was gullible, but he did his job.” the figure continued. “He led me straight to you. A moment that would throw you off guard long enough for me to get what I want.”

“What… What the hell…” Simmons muttered as the figure turned around to reveal the shit-eating grin of none other than Grant Ward himself. But, it was also not Grant Ward at the very same time.

This one had dragon-like skin covering his hands and forearms along with those massive wings that protruded from his back. Gleaming black horns hugged his head like a crown and what looked to be a jet-black tail drug the ground. And when he smiled, razor-sharp fangs gleamed in the low light.

“Wait, didn’t he die?” Mack asked. “I thought he was dead.”

Grant’s smile grew, “I ask myself that every single day.” he chided. “But I’m alive as I’ll ever be. Even if I don’t feel like it. And you’ve known that I’ve been alive this entire time. You just haven’t realized it.” He smiled as he knew that they were putting two and two together.

“The monster that day. That was you.” May stated coldly. “The one we’ve been after this entire time.”

Grant grinned, “Bingo.” Fitz noticed that something was wrong. His red eyes glowed with a weak light. Like he was sick. Or fighting something back.

“Phil, you told us that the Hydra god killed him. That that’s what we were after.”

Coulson kept his head low, not saying a single word.

Grant’s fang-filled smile grew, “Go on, keep putting two and two together. There’s a reason to why he was so damn determined to find that ‘god’. It wasn’t because he thought it was Hydra’s god.”

May’s face fell, “Phil, did you send us after that monster knowing who it was this entire time?” she asked lowly, unable to believe just what was going on. “Why would you keep such a crucial detail from us?”

“It’s because he’s responsible for what I’ve become.” Grant hissed, his smile quickly morphing into a nasty snarl as he pointed a clawed finger at the man. He took a small step towards the man. “And I want… I want to  _ kill  _ him before it happens again. I can’t let it happen again.”

“Wait,  _ Coulson’s  _ the one that killed Ward?” Mack asked, dumbfounded. “You told us that it was the creature on that planet.”

“He was the one that killed him.” Fitz stated, taking a step forward. He knew that he should speak up. Tell the truth. Because he knew that Coulson wouldn't. “I saw it. Coulson didn’t come to that planet to rescue me. He was more than glad to sacrifice me to kill Ward when he could’ve just left him behind. I… I watched as he crushed the life from Ward’s chest.”

Grant shot forward, grabbing Coulson by the throat, “And he threatened Fitz into silence.” he growled. “And lied to you all. All because he didn’t want to admit he was the reason for the monster’s appearance. He didn’t want to take responsibility for his actions. And now I want him _DEAD_ because of it!” He slammed Coulson into the ground, smiling as he heard a crack sound out. 

“You are no better than me, Coulson.” Grant laughed, his screech cutting through the air. “You claim that you’re so high and mighty, but when in reality you’re no better than an ant.”

“You’re… You’re a monster.” Coulson spat out through the pain. “Even if we can’t stop you, Talbot’s still after you. An entire military after you.”

Grant smiled, “I thought that we already went over this. The only monster I see here is you.” he stated. “Humans are the  _ true  _ monsters. And I’ll claim my rightful place as the  _ god  _ that I am. It is my fate to rule this world. And I fear no army. I’ll wipe them out in mere seconds. Just like I’ll do with you. ” His smile grew, chilling everyone to the bone. Just what the hell was he talking about?

But, in reality, the voice inside his head was manipulating his actions, driving him towards killing Coulson. Because killing him was the first step in claiming his place as a ‘god’. Because there would be nothing left standing in his way once Coulson was gone. 

May, Morse, and Hunter all stepped forward as Grant began to reach for Coulson’s neck again, their guns drawn, even though they were still all trying to comprehend the current situation. The fact that Coulson had  _ lied  _ to them all. But, Grant’s head shot up and he stopped them with a crazed and wild look.

“And you’ll all end up just like him, too! Just leave me the hell alone!”

Fitz swallowed, noticing how the veins in Grant’s neck were bulging and his head moved with a weird twitch. 

“I don’t wanna die again! I won’t let that happen! I…”

Grant trailed off and he blinked, letting go of Coulson and stumbling back. “No… I don’t want to kill anymore.” he muttered, his voice scared and broken as he pleaded with nothing. “Don’t make me do this. Please. This isn’t what I want. Leave me alone.”

_ “What are you talking about?!”  _ the voice screamed, sinking its claws into him.  _ “Kill them all now before it’s too late. Don’t let them fire a single shot! You can kill them all in a matter of fucking seconds!” _

Grant started to shake his head over and over, “I can’t… I can’t do that.”

_ “Something’s… Something’s controlling him.”  _ Fitz thought.  _ “He’s not fully himself. Could the Hydra god really be here, but in his body instead?” _

Grant’s face quickly twisted up into another snarl, “But, I want to  _ survive _ . So, I must sacrifice a bit more to let just that happen.”

He went to launch himself at Coulson once more, who was scared shitless on the ground, but a voice stopped him. 

“Grant, don’t do this! What are you doing?!”

Grant pulled back and turned to see Daisy running towards him, “Stay out of this, Skye. I need to do this.”

“And you told me that you didn’t want to kill anyone anymore.” she stated, placing herself between him and Coulson. “I know that Coulson’s a piece of shit right now, but you can’t let it come to this.”

“Daisy?” Simmons asked. “I thought you were on house arrest and ran off for some reason?”

“Yeah, because Coulson didn’t like the fact that I found that Grant was alive and went to find him. He did that to shut me up. So I didn’t end up telling anyone the truth.”

“Phil, why?” May asked as Coulson pulled himself to his feet. “What’s gotten into you?”

Coulson held his right arm, which he knew was broken, “I did what I had to do, May.” he stated. “I needed to get rid of the threat before you could find out about it. Before things could be made much worse. Do you realize who we’re dealing with?!”

“Yeah, I do. But this is how you choose to deal with him again? By lying to us and threatening members of your team?”

“I did what I had to do. That’s all I’ll say about it.”

Daisy shivered at the coldness in Coulson’s voice. He didn’t care at all did he? He never cared about hurting them as long as he could hide that he was responsible for what had happened to Grant. That he was responsible for the devil that was now present in the world. 

“I can’t let him kill me again.” Grant moaned, clutching at his head. “Won’t be good for anyone. But… I don’t want to… I don’t….” He moaned again, falling to the ground and grabbing at his chest. 

“Grant?” Daisy tried to reach for him, but he pushed her back.

_ “Guess I’ll have to deal with this on my own. Even if I can’t possess you, I can still use your ‘monster’ to my advantage.”  _ the voice growled, encroaching on Grant's mind. Taking control from him. _ “Can’t use you if you’re dead, boy.” _

“Can’t breathe…” he said, struggling to get his words out. “You need… Need to get away from me… It’s coming. Can’t stop it. It wants…” He trailed off, groaning in pain once more. 

“What the hell is he talking about?” Simmons asked, taking a step back,

“ _ Diablo. _ ” Elena muttered as she noticed that Grant’s skin was starting to shift and pulse. And no one needed a translation for that.

_ Devil.  _

Daisy’s eyes widened as she realized just what was about to happen. The very thing that Grant couldn’t control was forcing itself out of him. The very monster that ran amok in Venice that day. “Run! Now!” she screamed, diving away as Grant let out a blood-curdling scream.

Right as the Devil himself came ripping out of the man’s skin. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so there's a LOT to unpack here. Malick's gone. The team knows that Grant is alive and is the monster they've been after. And that Coulson's been lying to them. And then there's that ending. The next chapter will both be Daisy's POV and Grant's POV. Any guesses of what's to come? Keep the comments and kudos coming!


	23. Weathered Wings and Broken Bones

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Confrontation.

Daisy tried to steady her breathing as she pulled herself to her feet, watching in horror as the monster began to loom over the rest of the team. Her stomach flipped as she realized that none of them had run like she had so desperately wanted them to. None of this was how she had planned it. She hadn’t expected Grant to kill Malick. She hadn’t expected the monster to come ripping out of Grant’s skin. Then again, Grant had never explicitly mentioned what he was going to do. 

But then again, had Grant ever known what he really wanted to do?

Grant had wanted revenge, but at the very same time didn’t want to hurt anyone else. It was a constant battle inside of his head, the human fighting the demonic. He had never been able to truly decide on what  _ he  _ wanted and Skye feared that it was the demon driving his actions. Especially now. 

Now that the monster was out. Now it could have what  _ it  _ truly wanted and Daisy knew that it was to kill Coulson and anyone who stood in its way. Daisy knew that blood would be shed and it wouldn’t be a single drop. 

The monster smiled, showing its massive fangs as it took a thundering step towards Coulson. Daisy could finally get a good look at it. The thing was somewhere over eight feet tall and definitely somewhere over a thousand pounds of pure, obsidian muscle. It was like the Hulk had crawled out of hell. 

Its massive wings were fanned out behind it as its spiked, lizard-like tail drug the ground. She frowned as she noticed that there seemed to be a hole in its chest. It glowed with a fiery light and was surrounded by jagged obsidian. Her stomach flipped as she realized what it was. It was where Coulson had crushed Grant’s chest, the very thing that had triggered Grant’s demonic transformation. It was a stark reminder of who was responsible for what had happened since Maveth. 

Coulson smiled a forced smile, “You don’t scare me.” he stated, even though Daisy could feel fear seeping from every pore of his body. “You’re nothing more than a fairy tale.”

The monster growled, leaning in towards the man, “You clearly don’t understand to what you’re dealing with.” it hissed. “I am a  _ god  _ and I have the power to destroy this entire damn planet. I am  _ not  _ a fairy tale. I am as real as it gets.”

“A god?” Coulson almost laughed. “Give me a fucking break. It seems like you’ve gone mad with whatever power you have.” He smiled again, “You’ve always been crazy, but it looks like you’ve taken it to an entirely new level.”

“Phil, don’t provoke him.” May warned, taking a step back. “You saw what he did to Malick. You saw what he did in Venice.”

The monster smiled, “You better listen to her. Venice was only a small amount of my true power.” it purred. “I think you wouldn’t even begin to fathom what I could cause if every last bit of my power was released.”

Daisy frowned, knowing that there was no way that this was Grant. Even though the monster shared Grant’s arrogance, something just felt  _ wrong _ . Like something was manipulating what he was doing. Like he wasn’t fully in control.

“So, tell me. Just who are you?” Coulson asked, staring the monster straight in its slitted eyes. “Really.”

Its smile grew, “That’s such a stupid question, Coulson.” it teased. “I’m still Grant Ward, I’ve just become something much greater. I have other names, but they have power. So, there’s no way in hell that I would ever tell you them. But, I am still Grant Ward.”

_ “That’s not Grant.”  _ Daisy thought with a swallow.  _ “He wasn’t like this just a minute ago. Hell, he was just fighting with himself. But, that means that something won. Then who won?” _

Grant spread out his arms, “I am greater than any of you!” he screeched. “I’m surprised that you would even still go after me even after you’ve seen what I am. I admire your determination, Coulson, I really do. But, a line has to be drawn somewhere or another. And this ends today. Consider this your payment for what you’ve given me.”

Coulson raised an eyebrow, “And what the hell have I given to you?” he asked. “I’ve done nothing.”

“You’ve given me true power. But, you still were the one that killed me. The one that is responsible for everything that has happened since that day. All the suffering that I have gone through. An eye for an eye, Coulson. You took my life, so I have to take yours.”

Grant took a step towards Coulson, but Daisy stepped in between them. “Grant, this has to stop.” she stated firmly. “Surely there has to be some other way for you two to reconcile, but this isn’t the way. You told me that you didn’t want to kill anymore.”

Grant’s eye twitched, “I’ve changed my mind.” he growled. “Move out of the way, Skye. I don’t want to hurt you. But, if you keep getting in the way, I’ll have no other choice.” The air smelled heavily of sulfur. “This is what I want, why do you keep me from that?”

“Because I know that it’s definitely not what you want.” she stated, not taking her eyes off of him. “Whatever’s in your head, whatever you’ve been arguing with, it’s manipulating you, Grant. Coulson’s death is what  _ it  _ wants, not you. You don’t want anymore blood on your hands.”

“Get out of the fucking way.” 

“No. I won’t. You may hate Coulson, but this isn’t the way to go, Grant. The bloodshed stops here.”

Grant hissed, “I mean what I said, Skye. Get out of the fucking way.” he repeated. “Let me do what I need to do.”

“No, I-”

Before Daisy could blink, something struck her shoulder and sent her flying to the side. She came to a stop a few feet away, brining a hand to her shoulder. She found her shirt torn and her shoulder bloody. The hard skin of Grant’s clawed hand had torn the skin away from her shoulder. 

_ “Grant… That’s not you.”  _ she thought with a groan.  _ “Wake up. This isn’t you. You’ve got to be somewhere in there somewhere. Please.” _

Grant smiled and returned his attention to Coulson, ignoring the horrified expressions of the team. “Now, where were we?” he asked. He shot his hand out and closed it around Coulson’s throat. “How should we do this? Slowly?”

“You’re a monster.” Coulson choked out. “I thought… I thought you loved her.”

“This is more important than love.” Grant hissed. “And I told you not to call me that. I am not a monster. I am a  _ god _ . The only monster I see here is you. And I am nothing like you. You think you can save yourself by trying to cover up your mistakes, but you can’t. You can’t save yourself or your soul. And my actions now are not those of a monster. This is simply payback for what you took from me.”

“And what’s that?”

“My humanity.”

Daisy braved the burning pain in her shoulder and shot to her feet, “Grant, stop this!” she screamed before Grant had the chance to snap Coulson’s neck. “I know that you’re in there, so wake the hell up! This wasn’t the plan! There’s no need to kill Coulson. You can just drop everything now and we can walk away. I think that you’ve made your point, Grant.”

“Even if you walk away from this.” Coulson breathed. “You… You’re still a wanted man. Talbot wants your head. There’s nowhere that you can hide.”

“I do not fear the military.” Grant growled, smoke blowing out of his nostrils. “The military is nothing against a being like me.”

“Grant!” Daisy screamed, taking a shaky step forward. “Things don’t have to end like this, please. I know that you’re in there. And I know that this isn’t what you want. It’s time to go. It’s time to start over.”

Grant freezed up, something beginning to click inside of his head, “No… I… I need to do this, Skye. So, he doesn’t have the chance to kill me again. If I die again… It won’t be good for anyone.” He raised a hand and clenched his fist, the ground beginning to shake. 

“What the hell?” Mack muttered, trying to keep his footing as the ground between Grant and Coulson and the team began to split open. He thought that Daisy’s powers were powerful, but this was a whole new level. 

“That is barely any of my power.” Grant forced out, his head beginning to hurt as he pointed at the glowing fissure. “Imagine if all of it came out at once. I can’t let that happen. This world can’t be destroyed. Coulson is the key. If I die, the world dies.”

Daisy’s stomach flipped. There was no way that that could be true. But if he could open up the ground with a wave of his hand… She shook her head, not wanting to think about it. Anything could kill him, not just Coulson. This had to stop.

“Grant. I thought that you wanted a quiet life.” she stated calmly, taking another step forward. “This isn’t the way to go. You may be some kind of demon god or whatever the hell it is you are, but that doesn’t mean you have to act like it. We could leave now and you can work on controlling it. Being a demon doesn’t mean you actually have to behave like one.”

Something in Grant’s eyes softened for like a second before he snarled, tightening his grip around Coulson’s neck. “No, this is what I must do. I…” He trailed off and shook his head, dropping Coulson, who fell to the ground in a coughing fit.

“This… This isn’t what I want…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now there's not a lot left. Maybe 4 chapters at the most. But, the next chapter will be VERY angst-filled, I promise you that. Any guesses of what's to come? Keep the comments and kudos coming!


	24. Like Cinders, It Rains.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grant conquers his demons.

Grant’s vision suddenly went black before he found himself in a barren and darkened field. His heart lept into his throat as a figure stalked towards him; the same, faceless figure from many nights ago that he had somehow forgotten until now. The night that everything had changed for the worst.

His nameless father. 

Grant clenched a fist, trying to ignore the fact that he was naked. But at least he was in human form. For now. 

“What the hell are you doing here?” Grant hissed, an unknown pain lancing through his chest. “I need to go back! I need to stop this!” 

His father stopped and laughed, “I’ve been here all along, Grant. I’m just surprised that you never put two and two together.” he jeered. His face quickly fell, “And how you have disappointed me,  _ boy _ . You aren’t worthy of the names that I’ve given you.”

“Wait…” Grant swallowed and took the smallest of steps forward. “You’re the voice inside of my head. The one that’s been driving me towards the monster this entire time.”

“It’s true that I cannot possess you, but you are so easily manipulated, Grant. I planted myself inside of your head so I could direct you towards what I want.”

“What you want?” Grant suppressed a growl. “Did you ever stop to think that all of this isn’t what I want? I may hate them, but I don’t want to kill anymore. Not even Coulson. I’m not a killer anymore. I just want to be left alone. Get the fuck out of my head,  _ father _ .”

His father smiled, “I can’t do that. And I’m afraid that what you want never mattered.” he sneered. “You are my pawn, Grant. My key to the mortal realm. I needed you to  _ survive  _ so you could become what I wanted to be.”

“So, what you told me about me dying… Was that a lie?”

“No. That was never a lie. You contain so much power for one mortal body alone, Grant.” he continued, staring Grant straight in the eyes. “If that were to be released, the Earth would indeed crack apart. Coulson is the one that is so damn intent on killing you. As well as the military. You cannot let them take you out because  _ everything  _ will be destroyed if you die. Hence why you are called the Eater of Worlds.”

“I don’t want to fight anymore.” Grant muttered, staring at the ground. “I don’t even want to keep on living, but it seems that I can’t even take my own life.” He looked back up, “I just want to be left alone. Why can’t anyone ever give that to me?”

“Because that is not your dest-”

“Bullshit!” Grant screamed, fire flaring from his eyes. “This? This isn’t my ‘destiny’ or whatever crap you want to call it! You have no idea of how much I suffered. For 3 fucking decades I’ve been beaten down and belittled for reasons I can’t help.” He snarled to reveal razor-sharp fangs. “I’m no god. I can barely even protect those I care about.”

His father’s fingers twitched, “That suffering molded you into the demon you are today, Grant.” he said through gritted teeth. “Your power wouldn’t exist without that suffering.”

“And I don’t care about power!” Grant shot forward and grabbed his father by his throat. “I used to, but I’ve seen the truth. Power isn’t worth losing everything else. I know that I hate being called weak, but it’s better than being this… This monster.”

Grant suddenly morphed into the monster with barely a passing second. If this was his own mind, he wanted complete control over everything. His crown-like horns arched high into the air and he reached up and ripped the both of them off without a single thought.

“These?” he asked, throwing the horns to the ground as he dropped his father, blood oozing from his head. “These mean nothing. I am no prince. I am no god, father.” He snarled, “I want to take my fucking life back from you and I’m doing that now.” He brought a foot down onto his father’s torso, “And you never even told me who you really are.”

“Names…” his father struggled against the weight of Grant’s dragon-like foot. “They have power. Yours gave you your monstrosity. So, why do you think I would tell you mine?”

Grant stared straight into what would be his father’s eyes on his ever-changing face, “I think I know just who you are, father.” he stated coldly.  “This is my own head, and I have  _ ultimate  _ power here.”

“And where did this confidence come from?” his father laughed. “I’ve never known you to be this confident.”

Grant snarled, “Don’t act like you know me. You don’t.” he hissed. “You may be my father, but that doesn’t mean a single damn thing to me. I am my own person. And I make my own destiny, you  _ devil _ .”

“And what are you going to do about it?” he asked, staring straight up at Grant. “Even if you get rid of me, you will never be able to get rid of what you’ve become. Even if you don’t become the god you were born to be, that monster will always be right underneath your skin. Getting rid of me doesn’t solve your problems, my son. And I will never die. I can always come back.”

Grant began to press down even harder on his father’s chest, “Then I’ll kill you again and again. I don’t care to how many times.” he growled. “As long as you stay out of my damn head and out of my life. And you will die the exact same way I died. I will crush you, father. I am not going to be your pawn anymore. This ends here. I will not kill anyone for you. I just want to be left alone.”

“You can’t-”

“Shut up.”

Grant brought the full force of his weight down upon his father’s chest, smiling as he heard a satisfying crack. He took a step back as his father’s face glitched up, showing different parts of multiple faces all at once.

His father choked out blood, “You… You may think you have won,  _ boy.  _ But, I cannot… I cannot be defeated.” he managed to spit out. “You cannot… You cannot defeat the  _ devil  _ himself.”

Grant’s smile just grew as his father’s words faded out and he turned his back to him. It felt as though a massive weight had lifted off of his shoulders and he could finally breathe just a bit easier. Even if his father was gone from his mind, he knew that it was only the beginning of the things to come. It was only a start of what he now needed to do. 

The very start.

* * *

 

(Elsewhere)

Grant’s vision came back to him and he found himself with a clawed hand against Coulson’s throat, pinning the man to the ground. Coulson sneered at him as he realized that the demon seemed confused once again. 

“What? Did you have another psycho break again?” Coulson jeered at him. “Guess your head isn’t in the right place right now, is it?”

Grant frowned, looking over to Daisy, whose shoulder was torn and bloody. His stomach dropped. How had she gotten hurt? What had happened? The last thing he remembered was unbearable pain. He swallowed. His father must’ve caused him to transform, attacking the team. What had he done and said in his moment of mindlessness? That thought terrified him. 

“No, it’s… It’s not.” Grant breathed out, returning his attention back to the man beneath him. He only kept his hold on Coulson so the man wouldn’t try anything against him. And he suspected that the rest of the team kept their distance from him because they either didn’t want him hurting Coulson or were absolutely terrified of him. Or both. 

“But, I’m better now. I can… I can think clearly for once.” Grant continued, staring straight into Coulson’s terrified eyes. “I don’t know who or what you think I am, but I’m not whatever it is.”

Coulson almost laughed, “Do you realize the situation that you’re in?” he asked. “Talbot and an  _ entire  _ army are after you. You’re the most wanted man in the States right now. There’s nowhere you can run and killing me will only make things worse for you.”

Grant swallowed, his slitted eyes dimming, “And what makes you think I’ll kill you?” he asked lowly, his voice cracking. “That’s… That’s not what I want anymore. I’m not that kind of monster.” He shook his head, “I just want to be left alone.”

Coulson frowned, “What’s with the sudden change in thought?” he asked, his voice still mocking. May shot him a look, but she knew that it wouldn’t work to shut him up. “I thought you wanted me dead.”

“I don’t think you’re deserving of death.” Grant stressed, his voice cracking again. “You deserve to live with what you’ve done.”

“What I’ve done?” Coulson scoffed, giving Grant a smug smirk. “I’ve done nothing wrong.”

Grant’s eyes suddenly flared, “You’ve done everything wrong!” he screamed, keeping the man against the ground. “Every fucking thing!” Tears started to build up in his eyes, “You could’ve just left me to die on that planet! But, no! You had to just fuck everything up, didn’t you! You risked Fitz’s life to end a stupid feud! You lied to everyone just to keep up your innocent image! You risked everyone’s life to pursue me, when you knew that it would be dangerous! 

And… And you turned me into this!” he cried, tears dripping from his face. “A monster I can’t control! You aren’t the innocent man you think you are, Coulson! Take a look in the mirror, because the only true  monster I see here is you. You’re the real demon, Coulson. Wake up and face the truth. You aren’t the hero you used to be. Stop trying to be one.”

Grant pushed himself up and away from Coulson, tears still falling from his eyes, “The man you think I am died when you killed me, Coulson. Stop going after ghosts and just leave me the hell alone.” he continued. “I may be a demon now, but that doesn’t mean I have to act like one. I’ll find a way to live like this. I don’t know how, but I will. And you’ll never even have to see me again. And I promise you that.” He wiped at his eyes, “Just leave me alone. Please.”

He turned his back to the team, his wings shielding him from their view. Daisy ran up to him and he reached out to her shoulder, “What happened?” he asked softly. “Why’re you hurt?”

She shook her head, “Grant, that doesn’t matter right now.” she whispered. “It’s just a scratch, I’ll be fine. But, what about you? What happened?”

“It’s a long story: I don’t have the time right now to tell you about it.”

Daisy swallowed and nodded slowly, “What are you going to do now? Talbot’s still after you.”

“I’m not interested in going after him, Skye.” he replied, tears still in his eyes. “I don’t want to kill anymore. Like I said. I may be a demon, but that doesn’t mean I have to act like one. I just want to be left alone.”

“Then, where are you going to go?”

“I don’t know. Probably a safehouse far from here. I can’t risk staying in the States.” He shook his head, “I need some time to come to terms with what I am.” He took her hand, studying the stark difference in their hands, “You should go back. There’s no use staying with me anymore.”

She shook her head, “Grant, I’m not loyal to SHIELD anymore.” she whispered, ignoring the stares of the team. “I don’t want to go back. Especially with Coulson still in charge. I just can’t do it anymore.”

“It’s not safe with me, Skye. I-”

“I trust you, Grant. I know that you wouldn’t hurt me on purpose.” she said, thinking of her shoulder. Even now she knew that it wasn’t him when that had happened. “I  _ want  _ to go with you. This is my choice. No one’s making me do so, okay? This is what I want.”

“Skye…”

“Grant, SHIELD isn’t the place for me anymore. I just need time away from it.” Daisy continued. “Does that make sense?”

“But, you still have friends there. What’s the use of leaving them behind?”

“It’s just Fitz and Mack, Grant. I can still keep in contact with them.”

Grant looked towards the team, who still were staring at them without a single word. “Are you sure about this?” he asked softly. “I don’t want you doing something that you’ll end up regretting.”

She looked him straight in the eyes, giving him a smile. And that’s how Grant knew that he  _ finally  _ had someone he could fully trust. Even if he was a monster in human skin now.

“Yes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now there's probably only 2 chapters left now. But, Grant has faced his (intentionally nameless/ambiguous) father, getting rid of him and turning against his 'destiny'. Good, right? Keep the comments and kudos coming!


	25. Is This the Sacrifice?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things start to come to an end.

(Sometime Later, Elsewhere)

“Skye, you didn’t have to come with me. At all.”

Daisy looked up and frowned as Grant came out of the motel bathroom, “And how many times are you going to tell me that?” she asked. “Like I’ve said a dozen times before, this was  _ my  _ choice, Grant. I wanted to come with you. And I didn’t want to stay behind at SHIELD while it’s like the way it is. I couldn’t handle it.”

Grant’s face fell as he leaned against the doorframe, “So, you were serious about that.” Not a question, but a statement. “You’re not going back?”

“Not until Coulson gets his shit together. You know very well that little confrontation yesterday did absolutely nothing to change what he thinks about you.” she began to explain. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s still wanting to hunt you down. Even though he already knows  _ exactly  _ to how that’ll go.”

Grant swallowed and looked to the floor, “I still don’t have control over it. It’s better than it was, but far from what I want it to be.” he stated. “I wouldn’t be surprised if it went on a rampage the next time that someone happens to piss me off. Like my own demonic Hulk.”

Daisy looked back to him, forgetting all about the monster that hid underneath his skin. Right now, Grant looked like a scared little boy, despite his elf-like ears and the tail that drug the ground. Fear still shone heavily in his eyes. Even though Grant had shaved and looked a bit better physically, she could still see the mental toll that everything was putting upon him. He had woken up screaming the night before and it had taken everything in Daisy to help calm him down before the monster could show itself.

“What’s your plan now?” Daisy asked, trying to move the subject on. “We can’t stay in motels forever, you know.”

With a sigh, Grant came towards her, sitting down beside her on the edge of the bed, “I have plenty of safehouses that we can use. Plenty of dropboxes with plenty of money to spare as well. It’ll get us by until Talbot’s APB can be dealt with. And I don’t think that’s something you could get rid of so easily. You could delete it from servers, but Talbot will still be after me.” he explained. “It won’t be so easy.”

“But, I don’t want to be a fugitive for the next God knows how long.”

Grant raised an eyebrow, “Skye, you made the decision to come with me.” he stated. “You knew what you were getting yourself into. You knew that coming with me would make you a fugitive by default. I’m not blaming you at all, but you should’ve known this going in.”

Daisy shook her head, “I knew this already, Grant.” she answered. “It’s just that it would be nice if it could be dealt with soon. Talbot has no idea of what you are now. He has no clue to what he’s dealing with. Him sending an army after you could spell trouble for a bunch of people.”

She trailed off and looked back to him, “During your rampage, the time you can’t remember, you said that if you died, the world dies. Is that true?”

Grant stared behind her for several long seconds before nodding slowly, “I… I believe so.” he answered. “If me being able to crack open the ground in Venice was only a small percentage of my power, then imagine what would happen if all of said power was released all at once. I think being killed, dying unnaturally, would make just that happen. Hell, the Earth itself could crack apart if I was killed.”

“And how did you learn all of this?”

He shivered as he thought of his father, the nameless being. He shook his head, “I don’t want to talk about it right now.” he stated softly. “Maybe one day, but not anytime soon. All you need to know is that what was inside my head is gone now.”

“Is that what happened yesterday?”

All Grant could do was nod.

Daisy placed a hand on his knee, “Maybe things will be better now.” she all but whispered. “Now that it’s gone and Coulson’s no longer a problem.”

“No, they won’t. I still have a monster inside of me that I can’t even begin to control. An entire country is after me. I have so much blood on my hands just because of what the monster's done.” he began to explain, thinking of Venice and those two officers. “I don’t think that things will ever be okay, Skye. We can act like they are, but they never will truly be so. We…”

Grant trailed off as a phone began to ring. He looked to see Daisy got to pull a burner phone out of her bag, “Where the hell did you get that?”

“It connects to Fitz and Fitz only. I’ve had it since we started trying to figure out what the truth really was. Just in case something went wrong. Hell, I even forgot that it was still in my bag.” She shook her head, “I don’t know why he could be calling me. Hello?”

Grant frowned as Daisy answered the phone and began to talk. Even with his enhanced hearing, he really couldn’t make out what was being said on the other line. All he could tell was that it was definitely Fitz and he sounded kind of excited for some reason or another. The conversation went on for about five minutes until Daisy quickly ended the call and smiled at him.

“What… What was that about?” Grant asked. “What did Fitz want?”

Daisy took a breath before answering. “May forced Coulson to step down this morning.” she began slowly. “As of today, she’s taking full leadership of SHIELD. Without any direction from Coulson at all. Apparently, she doesn’t take too kindly to being lied to and being led on a wild goose chase for something that could kill the entire team. She thinks that Coulson is no longer fit to lead SHIELD.”

Grant’s face fell once more, “So… So, what does that mean for me? For us?”

“Apparently, May understands that you’re something that needs to be left alone. She is going to try to petition Talbot to drop the APB and the kill/capture order against you. Fitz didn’t say how she would do so. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if she convinced him that you’re dead.”

“Well, the man that he’s after  _ is  _ dead.”

“And it would technically be double jeopardy if you’re tried for something you’ve already paid the price for.”

Grant nodded, “I’ve died for what I’ve done. And I’m currently living with a monster inside of my own body.” he stated. “I’ve paid my penance for what I’ve done. I just want to start over, Skye. I want to work on controlling what I am so I can live in peace for once. I’m not the monster I was anymore. I’m… I’m different. And I want to prove just that.”

Daisy smiled and leaned over, giving him a gentle kiss on his cheek, causing him to blush. “Well, it looks like that you may finally have that chance, Grant.” she stated in response. “If May can get Talbot to back off, then I can work on restoring our identities so we don’t have to live false lives anymore. Maybe we can have that chance to be normal.”

Grant returned her smile, “Well, as close to normal as an Inhuman and a half-demon can get, right?” he asked, giving his tail a lazy flick. 

She rolled her eyes, “Don’t push it, Hellboy.”

Grant blinked and raised an eyebrow, “Hellboy?” he asked. “You’re giving me nicknames now?”

“I’ve got to find some way to have fun with things, so I’m gonna give you whatever nicknames I want to give you, Devilman.”

Grant rolled his eyes as well, but he couldn’t help but to smile once more. Even though there was a long journey in front of him, at least he had Daisy to help him. And he could help her in return. He knew that she was still processing Coulson’s betrayal and knew that it would truly affect her soon. They would have one another. They wouldn’t be alone now.

“Don’t push it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with this, there's only the epilogue left. I'm not quite sure of what I want to do with it yet, so it may be the weekend before I'll post it. Especially since I have another fic I need to work on updating. Keep the comments and kudos coming!


	26. Until the End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fin.

(Five Years Later)

“Daddy! Daddy!”

Grant looked up with a frown just as two small objects slammed into him. He let out a groan and sat up, wrapping his arms around what had launched into him. “What did I tell you guys about slamming into Daddy?” he asked, looking down into two sets of bright brown eyes. 

“That it was bad?”

Grant raised an eyebrow, “That’s right, Adian. That it was bad. Right, Avery?”

The other little boy, Adian’s identical twin brother, nodded, “Yeah!”

“You two are really something else.” Grant muttered, looking at the three year old twins. Adian and Avery were splitting images of one another, the only discernible feature being the mole on Adian’s right ear. They were also splitting images of their father, except for the sharp teeth and tail. And the flames. They had no powers whatsoever yet. Even if they were stronger and much smarter than the average 3 year old. Adian had Grant's anger issue, which would flare up when things didn't go his way. Avery was much more like their mother in terms of personality. 

“So, where’s Mommy?” Grant asked, still looking down at them. “She’s the one that took the two of you to the store after all.”

“She gettin’ the ‘roceries!” Avery exclaimed, wriggling in his father’s lap. “And we got toys! Wanna see them?”

Grant smiled at them, even though that he knew that the boys really didn’t need more toys, “Well, sure. Let me see them.”

“Okay!”

He huffed again as the two boys jumped off of his lap and ran off. “Mommy! Toys! Daddy want to see them!” he heard Adian scream.

Grant sighed and shook his head, knowing that they would get a lot more troublesome as they grew up, considering that they were both half-demon like him. Well, half-demon, half-inhuman. 

Daisy had found that she was pregnant about a year and a half after they left SHIELD behind that day. They exactly weren’t all that careful and human contraceptives really weren’t too effective against a demon. So, seven and a half months later, Adian Leo and Avery Thomas arrived, very loudly, into the world. And Daisy had been glad that the pregnancy had happened later rather than sooner.

May had kept her promise on getting Talbot to drop the APB against Grant, and they still didn’t exactly know how she did so. She still wouldn’t tell them even five years later. But, it had enabled Daisy to rebuild her and Grant’s identities so they didn’t have to live in hiding or under false names. She had even worked to clear Grant’s criminal history so he didn’t have anything on his record and so they could also marry properly, but that’s a story for another time. That way, they could live in peace, even if Grant still had issues with what he was.

Even five years later, nightmares about the monster and his father still plagued him. He still couldn’t handle his emotions and the monster would still try to come out at the most inopportune times. Grant often felt as though he was failing his children because he still couldn’t control himself fully. Controlled transformations were coming more easily now, but he was still a long way from where he wanted to be. 

As for the team, relationships were still rocky. Grant and Daisy only kept in contact with May, Fitz, Mack, and Elena. Coulson and Simmons had barely been seen since that day five years ago. Fitz and Mack stepped up as the twins’ uncles since Daisy had no siblings of her own and Thomas still didn’t want anything to do with Grant, even though Rose had come around just a little bit. But, the biggest change had been May. She had placed aside her hatred of Grant for the sake of the twins, claiming them as her psuedo-grandchildren. And in the process, she had grown to like Grant just a little bit. But not by much. Coulson wasn’t allowed to be around them at all. 

Things had gotten much better, even if they were far from where Grant really wanted them to be.

“Look, Daddy!”

Grant jerked back to reality as Avery shoved an action figure in his face. “It’s ‘Uake!” he exclaimed. “Adian got a toy, too!”

Grant took the toy from the little boy, his face falling as he examined it.  _ “It’s… It’s Skye.”  _ he thought, seeing that it was a figure of Quake. It didn’t  _ exactly  _ look like her, but the semblance was still there. Daisy had only recently gotten back into hero work. She started back about 2 years ago once the twins were a year old. She had done some vigilante work right up until she found out she was pregnant with them. 

“It’s ‘Uake!” Avery repeated. Grant laughed at his pronunciation of Quake. “You like it!”

“Well, of course I like it.” Grant stated. “You know that I love Quake.” He smiled,  _ “Well, not for the reason you do, buddy. But, I think you won’t make the connection that Quake’s your mother until you’re older.” _

“Look at mine, Daddy!” Adian shoved another toy into his face. “He got a tail like you! And fire!”

Grant’s heart skipped a beat as he took the figure from Adian and handed the Quake one back to Avery, “Oh, wow.” he muttered. “What’s his name?”

“‘Ellfire!”

Grant swallowed, staring right at his own face. Well, kind of his own face. The eyes looked off and there was no beard for some reason or another. Perhaps it was modeled from when he went beardless for a couple of months. But, the tail and ears were still there. And the jacket as well. 

“He got arms!” Adian screeched, handing Grant more parts. “And pointies!”

He examined the parts and realized that the arms of the figure could be changed to make it look more like his half-demon form. Horns and wings could be added as well. He breathed a silent sigh of relief, glad that there was no figure of the monster. Of the Hellbeast, as he had begun to call it. 

“Wow. This guy looks pretty cool.”

“He on TV!”

Grant frowned, “Really? Is that so?”

“Alright, you two. Leave your father alone and put your toys up. And go clean up your rooms.”

Adian and Avery both looked up to see their mother in the doorway of the living room, “But, Mommy.” Avery protested.

“No, buts. Go do it. Now.”

The twin boys wrinkled their noses before taking the toys from Grant and running off. 

“I swear…” Daisy shook her head and she came up to Grant, sitting down next to him and kissing him on the cheek. “I wouldn’t of gotten them those toys, but I thought you would actually like them.”

“The Quake one makes sense.” Grant began, still dumbfounded. “But the Hellfire one? I’m not that popular.”

“How much do you watch the news, Grant?”

Grant frowned, “Not much. I don’t like to deal with real life events that much. You know that it doesn’t help my anxiety.”

“You’ve been all over the news lately. Especially since you fought against those superpowered assholes in New York two weeks ago.” Daisy explained. “Looks like toy companies are going ahead and capitalizing on it.”

“I better get a paycheck from the toys sold.”

Daisy rolled her eyes, “Well, I don’t get a paycheck from toys either, so suck it up.” she teased. “But, I think it’s great that the world’s starting to take notice of you. Especially since you’re now just getting comfortable with the idea of being a hero.”

Grant looked down and frowned, “And what’ll happen the first time that the Hellbeast decides that it’s a good time to come out and play?” he asked. “What will the world think of me then?”

Daisy smiled and placed a hand on his knee, “I don’t think that that’ll happen, baby.” she said, leaning over to give him another kiss. “There’s more good in your than bad now. Even if you are a demon.”

He looked back up and gave her a smile, but remained silent. He was glad that he believed in him, even if he did have many problems. At least, at home, he could pretend that he had the world. Even if just for a second.

“Mommy! Adian dumped his Legos! My room!”

Daisy sighed and rolled her eyes, “Well, then Adian should clean it up and stay in his room!” she yelled. Well, at least this would pull Grant away from his sour mood. “Stay in your own rooms!”

She looked back to Grant, “Can you imagine what they’ll be like when they’re teenagers?”

“Don’t make me think about it.”

“Mommy!” Avery screamed again. “Adian here!”

Daisy huffed and stood to her feet, “I better go sort it out before they start fighting again. And break something. Again.” she stated. 

“Hey, I have one question while you’re here.” Grant said, a smile starting to pull at his lips. The thought had just crossed his mind and he really just wanted to pull Daisy’s leg. He already knew that it was a huge no-go right now.

She raised an eyebrow, “And what’s that?”

“Can we get that dog I was talking about? I can have Adian and Avery help me pick it out.”

“Right now? Absolutely not.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And for the end, I go with my classic they have kids ending. But, we needed something sappy and sweet for the ending, right? So, I hoped that it worked. (By the way, Avery is a new kid I'm trying to introduce into my fics along with Adian and Ava.) Please leave a comment to tell me what you thought about the fic!

**Author's Note:**

> Just another idea that I wanted to write! Find me on Tumblr @gears-of-ward!


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